By Casey Jarmes | The News-Review
KEOTA – Keota High School speech students showed an excellent selection of Large-Group speech performances on Jan. 21, at a special hometown showcase to prepare students for the district speech competition at Wapello on Jan. 24.
The night featured the following performances:
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“Stick & Move,” an Ensemble Acting piece where two people on an awkward date are coached between rounds of conversation by boxing coaches. Featured Emma Greiner, Dacin Redlinger, Zoey Sieren and Grayson Sprouse.
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“How Angel Peterson Got His Name,” a Readers Theater adapted from a Gary Paulson short story telling the story of teenagers attempting to break the skiing-speed world record by tying their friend to a back of a car. Featured Chase Haifley, Luke Moeller, Jake Morris, Gavin Sieren and Jackson Vittetoe.
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“With A Hammer In His Hand,” a Choral Reading of the folk tale John Henry, about a steel-driving man who dies of exhaustion after racing against a steam drill. Featured Addyson Chapman, Peyton Baughman, Grayson Sprouse, Zoey Sieren, Emma Greiner, Dacin Redlinger, Will Greiner, Jessalyn Aller, Adyson Miller and Rowen Horning.
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“Breaking Badly,” an Ensemble Acting piece about a service helping people plan break-ups by showing tapes of increasingly ridiculous dumpings. Featured Ayden Galindo, Jack Greiner, Kaylee Kindred, Brennan McGuire and Jaylah Redlinger.
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Two improv teams, one featuring Ayden Galindo Jack Greiner and Brennan McGuire, and the other featuring Elyse Lyle, Emily Mahan and Addison Purkeypile. The former team acted a scene about two old men pranking a server at a dining hall, while the latter performed a scene about fixing a tire.
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“Ditzies,” an Ensemble Acting piece about one dumb teenager teaching another dumb teenager how to drive and getting stuck in the woods. Featured Peyton Baughman and Addyson Chapman.
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Capping off the night was the One Act Play “Brothers Grimm,” a parody of classic fairy tales like Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and Cinderella.
“They’ve come so far in the last, well we started in November, so two and a half months. Just a lot of growth in all of them,” said Speech Coach Gina Bennett, after the show.
“It’s good nerves. Nerves in a good way. So I know the kids will put 100% towards it,” said Bennett, about the then upcoming competition.
On Jan. 24, the work Keota students put in paid off, with “How Angel Peterson Got His Name,” “With a Hammer In His Hand,” “Breaking Badly,” the boys Improv team, “Ditzies,” and “Brothers Grimm” all receiving I ratings and moving onto State. “Sitck & Move” and the girls Improv team received II ratings.
