On December 12, 2024, the Upper School theatre classes attended the Florida Thespians Districts, hosted at Douglas Anderson. Districts is a competitive theatre competition where schools compete with solo, duet, small group and large group acting/musical pieces, while also having other things like playwriting or pantomimes.

Districts provide a place for students to grow as performers by encouraging you to try new things while performing in front of people.

The pieces are scored by three to four judges ranging from Superior, Excellent, Good and Fair. Superior is the highest score, and Fair is the lowest score. If the piece gets Superior, they can perform at states; however, only a select few of these Superiors get to, if a lot is given because a certain amount of pieces can be brought from a certain troope.

In an interview with the head of the Middle School performers, Ms. Langdon Zimmer said that her favorite part of districts is “the spirit and energy and everyone working as a team and supporting each other and cheering everyone on in their different categories.”

When asked what she felt was the most beneficial part of Districts, she said, “Practice being in front of people and practice with public speaking at its very best. It helps students feel more comfortable performing in a room with primarily total strangers and being able to share their craft and the performance aspect and public speaking aspect is a great lesson of life.”

Image courtesy of ESJ’s Theatre Instagram.