The SJHHS drama department has worked hard to produce many productions this year, including Letters to Sala and Exit the Body.

Many San Juan Hills stallions were recognized for their roles in the fall production of Exit The Body, through the California Educational Theatre Association also known as CETA.

SJHHS Theater department attended the CETA on Friday January 15th, an event they’ve been  attending for almost 9 years.

Anyone High School can enter CETA in the state of California, as long as submit their fall Drama production show.  SJHHS is submitted Exit the Body.

Three judges adjudicated Exit the Body over three nights and they graded them on their technical, acting, and directing aspects.

Each school in the four districts are rated on a scale of 1-100 and in the Orange County district there are 16 schools.  This year SJHHS received a score of 92.  

The first place winner from each district at the competition got to take their show to the CETA festival.

The festival was three days and even though SJHHS did not perform in the festival the entire fall cast from Exit the Body had the opportunity to attend and win awards.

The festival had over 60 workshops for the students to partake in. Seniors got to compete in a senior scholarship competition. Gabby Heckler, Ian Garcia, Jaegar Cohen, and Hunter Klein were the four seniors from SJHHS that competed in the senior competitions. Instead of going to one of their workshops they got to the scholarship competition.

Hunter Klein (12) won a Technical Theatre Scholarship award for his complete design of a theoretical production of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.”

“Winning this scholarship was an awesome experience. I know that the future holds a lot of hard work and long hours,” said Klein.

Klein has been in Theatrical Production for two years. He started in Stagecraft and worked his way up to Theatrical production.  He wants to start in a local union and someday lead his own design team.

Braeden Schmitt is not in the drama program but has a strong interest in acting. He received an award in acting for his role as “Vernon Cookley” in Exit the Body.

“I was surprised and excited because I had no idea that I received an award for my acting. It makes me want to pursue acting even more,” Braeden Schmitt (11).

The CETA awards also included a competition for creating an entire theoretical theatrical production. This includes set, property, lighting, sound, hair design, makeup, costume, stage management and direction.

Many of these actors were in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and are preparing for the production of Cinderella later on this year.