On the 10th and 11th of December, enthusiastic G-level students went to the regional final of the Shenzhen EdDA competition. The Educational Drama Association is a professional association for theatre education founded in the US in 1929. Its mission is to shape lives through theatre education by honouring student achievement in theatre and enriching their theatre education experience.
SCIE students entered several categories: monologue performance, group acting and solo improvisation. Meanwhile, the Head of Drama, Nicola Howard and drama teachers Victoria Seymour and Bianca Lin acted as judges for the competition. “Of course, we weren’t allowed to judge our students”, said Nicola, “that would have been unprofessional!”.
As well as acting as a judge for the competition, Nicola also ran a workshop called “Why are you speaking”, exploring the motivation behind speech – an essential skill for actors to develop in rehearsal. “The workshops are a great way to engage with the participants and to make the event a more friendly, supportive, and less competitive environment”, she said.
The standard of competition was extremely high, with many students being seasoned performers at the competition. Students had to compete in many rounds before reaching the finals. SCIE students Niki Lan from G2 was placed first in the monologue competition. Sunny Song, from G1, was ranked first in the improvisation section, with Chloe Man from G2 receiving an award for Best Humour. In addition, G1 students Sunny Song, Milana Marchenko, Alice Li, Kalea Lin and Marning Ma took first prize for their group acting piece, The Group Session, by Lindsey Paulette.
Congratulations to these motivated and committed performers.
Student's Sharing
Alice Li
Every minute closer to the end of the competition, the dread inside me intensified. Leaving the doors of the theatre meant farewell, not only to my character who I have spent weeks molding myself into, but also to the scattered, short-lived but heartful team we have constructed during the past months.
Sure, the joy and excitement of achieving Champion ran fresh with adrenaline in me, yet, the realization of parting still stung quietly. I am about to lost this identity of drama passion and alliance, and return once again to the walls of academics.
However though, the weekend, and the 2 months of rehearsals, has enriched me. Time flies as we sit on the G1 floor balcony facing the cafeteria – with no available place to go, that was our “official” rehearsal space. Reading the script for the first time, hot-seating, memorizing, trying to catch a glimpse of my role’s body and mind, running lines again and again, and finally, standing on the stage of the EdDA Group Scene Finals, squinting under the spotlight.
Hard work – a sore throat after every practice; enthusiasm – forgetting who I was, knowing who I am – an actor; passion – genuine love and respect for the team and to my role, Joanne.
This experience could not have been possible without my brilliant teammates and the overwhelming support from peers. We might not be champion every time, and we might never be a team again, but in the end, we are still friends full of young blood and a particular fascination for drama.
