Area Teams Compete in Fort Benton Invitational Forensics Tournament

 

December 11, 2019



On Saturday, December 7, twenty-one schools—from Browning to Wolf Point—gathered in Fort Benton for the Fort Benton Invitational Forensics Tournament. Three Blaine County Schools had teams competing at the tournament: Chinook High School, Harlem High School, and Hays/Lodge Pole High School. Chinook’s drama team finished second in Class C Sweepstakes.

Helping their team earn sweepstakes points, freshmen Lillyanna Munari and Olivia Standiford competed in Classical Theater with a piece written in 1889 by William Dean Howells and called “The Mouse-Trap.” During their presentation of this farce, Munari and Standiford stepped into the roles of two women trapped on chairs because they believe they have been invaded by mice. The Chinook pair turned in a second place finish.

In the Humorous Duo category, Jase Pursley and Liam Edwards captured third place for their performance of a script by Ken Bradbury called “Doomsday.” It is about Taylor, a man intent on getting to work, and Riley, another character who wonders at the futility of man, friendship, and effort when doomsday is near. Because Riley’s message about devastation and ruin is so convincing, the two end up changing places.

Finishing right behind their teammates, Gavin Lemro and Grace Ymzon, who were also competing in the Humorous Duo category and performing a Ken Bradbury piece, won fourth place with “On the Air.” This comedic piece features two student janitors who find themselves forced to go on the air at their local radio station, WHIK, when they accidentally knock unconscious the only DJ and radio announcer. Playing the characters Parker and Strobe, Lemro and Ymzon not only improvise the latest in news, weather, and sports but even create their own commercials.

The Chinook drama team is coached by Bonnie Ortner, who also serves as the current president of the Montana Forensic Education Association. Because of previous scheduling conflicts and readiness concerns, this was the Chinook team’s first meet. Ortner expressed pride her Classical Duo: “What a terrific accomplishment for Lilliana Munari and Olivia Standiford, who finished second in their very first tournament ever!”

In his third meet, sophomore Stanley Spangelo, placed sixth in Humorous Oral Interpretation with his piece entitled “Beauty Sleep” by Meghan Hakes. His teammate, Dante Jackson, a junior from Harlem, didn’t make finals in Dramatic Oral Interpretation with his piece “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe. They are coached by Harlem High School Art Teacher, Mary-Kate French.

The Thunderbirds from Hays-Lodge Pole, who formed a consolidated team with Dodson, didn’t come away with any placings. In fact, six of their competitors were unavailable due to other commitments.

In Dramatic Oral Interpretation, seniors Nature Bracelet and Randall Werk performed a piece entitled “Guilt” by Robbie Flowers, and freshman Vanessa Cochran performed “Dotted Lines” by Sarah Carpenter.

Coach of the Dodson and Hays-Lodge Pole Co-op team of thespians is Paul Condon, who also teaches K-12 Physical Education and Health Enhancement for the Hays-Lodge Pole School District. This is his second year as the team’s coach. Condon previously coached for ten years at Gardiner, Montana, where the Speech and Drama team was a twelve-time defending Montana High School Association State Class C Championship team.

About his current team, Condon said, “The program here is quite new, so the students don’t have the depth of experience that they need to be at State Championship level, but the group is developing the comfort and confidence necessary in public speaking. This is a good group of kids; they’re a lot of fun.”

Even though the team didn’t place on December 7, Condon is expecting better things on the 14th in Malta and the 21st in Choteau.

Smaller speech and drama teams are not unusual, given that small schools have a limited population from which to draw and that other activities are available to attract student interest.

“Chinook’s team is actually about the same size it has been. Last year, I had five most of the time. So I’m building! Kids just have so many commitments that it’s really difficult to build a team of this nature. Sports have always been (and probably will always be) the ‘face’ of our small schools,” Ortner said.

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024