Southland Speech Tradition Marches on to State Finals Friday/Saturday

Southland College Prep Charter High School’s “Performance in the Round” team finished atop its field, and junior Myka Moore placed third in “Dramatic Interpretation” in the Richards Sectional of the Illinois High School Association’s 2023 State Speech Championship tournament.

Both will advance to State Finals competition in Peoria, IL Friday, February 17, 2023.

Southland’s “Performance In the Round” topped its own efforts from a week earlier in regional competitions to take first place at the Richards sectional in Oak Lawn, IL. Previously, in the Lemont regional, Southland finished third to advance to sectionals.

Performance in the Round is a unique event exclusive to the IHSA in which a small group of student performers complete an interpretation of a script in a finite circular performance area with student direction as vital as student performance.

Improving on its exactly harmonized routine from the previous week was the team’s goal, along with qualifying to get to the Finals in Peoria.

The team set a high standard, choosing the Disney film “Moana” about an adventurous teenager who is determined to accept a daring on-the-seas mission of saving her island people. Moana’s journey begins with a chance meeting of the once-mighty demigod Maui and concludes with the lead character’s self-realization during a grueling quest to reach her ancestors.

A violation for going 15 seconds over the allotted time in Performance in the Round cost the group first place in the Lemont regional.

“This group practiced everyday so that would not happen again,” said Cara Aljae, a speech coach who was a high school student of Head Speech Coach Cheryl Frazier. “Most people are not aware of hard work it takes to get the Performance in the Round exactly right.

“The level of discipline and tenacity these young people bring at this young age is truly remarkable; they were not going to go over the allotted time again.”

Moore’s first place finish at the Lemont Regional positioned her to qualify for state competition in which she’ll be required to perform three more times to claim a state championship in Dramatic Interpretation, in which the student interprets and presents a piece of literature using voice, body and facial expression. The material is exclusively dialogue with little to no narration. The selections can be drawn from plays, novels and short stories.

Moore’s selection is from South Side of Chicago author Pamela Montgomery-Bosley’s “Unanswered Prayers” included in the anthology “How Long Will I Cry? Voices of Youth Violence” edited by Miles Harvey with stories told by real people in their own words.

Moore captures and displays a mother’s pain after losing her son to gunfire in a church parking lot. Moore projects a mother’s anguish so extreme that she brings into question the value of her own life without her beloved son, once a budding artist.

Moore is making her first appearance at the state finals as a speech qualifier, following last year’s 2nd place finisher in Group Interpretation in which she was a lead.

“It feels great to win,” said Moore. “I’m so excited to go downstate and tell my story.”

The Performance in the Round team members joining Moore in Peoria are:

Coaches: Cara Aljoe, Javon Smith, Malik Bibbie and Shantina Lowe.

Student Team Cast Members are: Acacia Morton, Asiah Lee, Aubrey Davis, Camyiah Finney, Chase Brown, Dajia Alford, Jacob Smith, Kara Grant, Kylee Grant, Naomi Dagba, Nicholas Harrison, Rain Coleman, Rashad Hyde, Rickaiya Bernard, Tristen Green and Tyler Rush.

“Much like the main character in the Performance In the Round storyline, these young people are experiencing a self-realization one can only get from trial and error - failure followed by the effort to succeed,” said Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, CEO of Southland College Prep Charter High School.

“Mrs. Frazier and her coaches have the experience and instincts to guide these young performers to confront obstacles and channel their best into success – just like in life.”