Theatre Competition
The best and brightest of Hobart High School Theatre Department traveled to Theatre State to try and bring home some winning scenes for Hobart.
This competition takes place over three days in Indianapolis. Students who go to State have the opportunity to compete in two different events that showcase their acting and singing skills in competition scenes, monologues, duets, and vocal solos.
During the event, workshops take place throughout the competitions. Professionals in their field run the workshops, and are helpful to attending actors and actresses. Workshops included improv, dance, acting, and audition work, plus a few that showcase how to become a director, writer, or backstage crew.
There is a competition that all backstage crew looks forward to called Tech Olympics. During that, students compete with other schools in different tech-related areas, such as props, curtain folding, quick change, knot tying and hanging a light. Hobart High School’s own Andy Acosta led the events this year.
Wonderful productions also took place at theatre state. Schools across the state submitted their one-act plays in a competition, and the top productions were showcased. Winners were offered another chance to compete later. The productions took place on the main stage throughout the weekend, so theatre students could walk in and watch any production whenever they want. This was a good chance for students to learn about different shows and acting techniques, all while watching a student production.
On the final day of theatre state, all the students watched a full two-act musical performed by the best high school theatre department.
Student Spotlight: Bradley Goben
Hobart High School senior Brad Goben is a proud member of the Hobart Tiger Sharks swim team, and says he loves swimming more than anything else.
Goben is trying to break the Hobart swim team record in backstroke, although he can do any stroke that the coaches want. He competes in as many swim meets as he can and loves to cheer on his fellow Tiger Sharks while they are in the water. He also loves relays, always choosing his favorite stroke.
Goben is part of the Theatre Department, although he doesn’t involve himself in the spring season so he can focus on swimming. He most recently acted in My Fair Lady, playing Freddy, the love interest of the main character, Eliza. Goben had solo vocal numbers and even danced during the show.
He has been involved in theatre all four years of high school, both onstage and offstage. He’s worked with props and the backstage crew, and loves every experience he’s had in the theatre department.
Goben said he is very proud to have been emcee for last year’s talent show. He was in charge of introducing the acts in a unique way. He is also proud of his artwork. In art classes, he learns to draw, paint, sculpt, and even make puppets. Goben was in charge of making a bird puppet for the Aladdin Jr., musical the seniors directed last year.
Goben is a talented actor, singer, and swimmer, and a very good person, in general. He is the type of person who can always tell when someone is in a bad mood, and he won’t stop until he sees a smile on someone's face. He is a kind soul who cares for friends as if they were his family, and strangers as if they were his friends. You can always catch him in the hallway laughing with a different crowd of people.
Teacher Spotlight
Mrs. Muscal and Mrs. Johnson are known as the iconic math duo. Muscal, a geometry and algebra teacher for sophomores and juniors, recently returned from leave after having a beautiful baby girl. Johnson was the substitute during her leave.
Now that Muscal is back from leave, Johnson returns to the new in-school tutoring program, which allows students who are having trouble in a certain math-related subject get special help. This program takes place every Wednesday during the school’s zero hour. Also referred to as success period, zero hour is a chance for students to catch up on school work, ask questions on difficult subjects, and take tests that they have missed due to absences. Students who participate in this program also do a work-based learning class online that helps prepare them for college and careers.
Muscal also works the tutoring program, and students can write a pass to her class to get extra help that they don’t have time to seek outside of school. These tutoring sessions are free to students and are just one of the many things the school provides to help their students excel.
Although Muscal and Johnson teach math, they take a caring approach to students’ academic and mental health and provide guidance throughout the difficult journey that is high school.
Swim Fundraiser
The Hobart swim team held a fundraiser for their swim and diving teams on January 12 at Chipotle in Portage. As people ordered food, team members engaged with them to explain the cause and ask for donations. Although the swim team did not reach their goal, they did reach a good portion and are happy with results.
The Hobart swim team comprises students of all ages competing in swim meets across the districts. They compete with swim teams across the county in breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and butterfly, and in relays, when four members of the team each swim a different stroke in one race, relay-style. The team with the most wins and the least amount of disqualifications at the end of the competition wins the meet and moves on to compete against another school or team.
Swimmers also can be part of the diving team. When evaluating competitions, the judges score accuracy of the dive and how much splash the diver has.