Best in the state
Wythe wins top VTA award
By Steven W. Bolton,
"The School Bell," Publication of RPS (Volume 35 - No.2)
YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES KIDS FEEL GOODABOUT THEMSELVES? FINDING SUCCESS.
In the classroom, in sports, and - for students at George Wythe -
in theater. Drama teacher Derome Smith and the 17 cast members
of "Sugar in the Raw" received a large boost to their self-esteem
earlier this year when they took top honors at the Virginia
Theater Association’s (VTA) One-Act Play Competition held in
Norfolk. The 30-minute original production, written by Smith,
features a series of monologues which detail the lives of inner-city
youth. Wythe’s presentation beat out plays from 41 other Virginia high schools.
"The plays deals with both positive and negative situations,"
said Smith. "Monologues cover topics such as the history of
African dance, the self-discovery of spiritual and physical beauty,
youth empowerment and gun violence. The play’s title reminds
us that background does not dictate outcome."
Sophomore Kris Tyler was named to the conference’s All-Star
Cast for the monologue. "Track Star." In it, Kris plays a runner of
drugs, not track. Eventually, his running days in a violent, gun-filled environment lead to his being shot.
The monologue, "The Babysitter," featured sophomore
Ashley Herndon. Her character is a young girl who learns to
appreciate her parents’ strict rules and their desire for her to attend college.
"My monologue taught me to be positive, to be responsible
and to prepare myself for the future," said Ashley.
Ashley’s reaction to her character is exactly what Smith
wanted his students to experience. "My hope is that each student
can walk away from the production and take all that’s inside
them and manifest those feelings into something positive," said
Smith. "I’m amazed by what the students bring to the stage. It’s
just so colorful and vivid. It’s really beautiful."
By winning the VTA title, Smith and his students will
represent Virginia at this spring’s Southeast Theater Conference
in Greensboro, N.C. They will compete for honors against 13
other state winners. The trip to Greensboro isn’t the only thing
Smith’s students earned for their showing in Norfolk.
"Winning first place showed me that the message we tried to
convey through the play, that you can accomplish anything if you
put your mind to it, is true," said junior Kaliah Jackson.
Freshman Chinedu Eze said "as a first-timer in drama,
winning a state title was encouraging."
And Tyler’s selection to the All-Star Cast has Kris thinking
about pursuing drama more seriously and "expanding my
horizons."
But senior Brian Parker probably best explains the impact of
the VTA title on the cast members’ pride. "By winning first place
in the state, it proves to everyone that good things can and do
come out of George Wythe."
