Region 2 Festival

Well, the 2014 Saskatchewan Drama Association Region 2 Festival in Moose Jaw has drawn to a close and all I can say is that the experience was truly amazing. The wonderful people at A.E. Peacock Collegiate gave me a warm welcome and the warm welcomes continued as I met all the talented students and teachers from Cornerstone Christian School, Vibank Regional School, Vanier Collegiate, Canora Composite School, and Riverview Collegiate.

Of course I enjoyed watching the productions -- and they were all entertaining! -- but the best part for me was getting to spend time with each school in our adjudication workshops. One hour is never enough, especially for someone like me who gets excited when the students start inspiring even more creative ideas than what I had written in my notebook. I know that on more than one occasion, a student or teacher would say something that would lead me on an unexpected road of creative exploration. Thankfully I had many inventive students who were more than willing and ready to go down that road with me. It's been two days since the festival ended, but I'm still laying awake at night thinking, Oh man, I should have said this! or If only I had time to try that! Here's hoping each school has a chance to take what advice I had to offer and apply it toward a future performance.

I'd like to once again congratulate all of the students who participated on a job well done! My biggest hope is that each student returns to their home school proud of what they accomplished up there on that stage. I'm also looking forward to seeing Him & Her, winner of Best Overall Production, for a second time at Provincials in May. It's always interesting to see how a play grows and develops over time, and Vanier Collegiate's beautiful production is sure to make a strong impact at the Provincial level.

Now I am gearing up for the Region 1 Festival this weekend in Carlyle. This time I get to sit back, relax, and enjoy the productions. Although that's nearly impossible, considering how nervous/excited I get when watching one of my plays come to life. I'll be posting about all 9 plays, including 3 written by me, as the festival commences on Thursday. Stay tuned!