Club sponsor Ms. Fernandez said, “Thespians is a club, showcasing students’ achievement in theater arts, and it really is a collaborative club, where there is room for everyone. If you don’t want to act, you can work backstage, you can turn on the lights, you can do the sound. It’s a home where you can be yourself, where you don’t have to try to be anyone else. It is so much fun to be in plays and musicals! It is a lot of work, and it is exhausting, but at the end of the day showcasing the amazing work these students are doing is always a lot of fun, and these students have a lot of fun doing it too.”
Ms. Fernandez reports that throughout this school year, there have been some significant changes in the club. Students’ abilities in Youth Fair competitions have improved, and the number of students to actually perform has increased. Ms. Fernandez said, “It’s really exciting to see all of their hard work pay off. We took home a combined nine 1st places, 6 special awards, and two 2nd place ribbons.”
Special recognition for performers at this year’s Youth Fair on March 14th , 2025, went to: Matthew Porras for 1st Place monologue, 1st place large group musical, 1st place Duet song and Special Award; Michael Porras for 1st Place Solo Musical, 1st Place Duet song and special award; Tifany Betancourt for 1st place Monologue, 1st place duet scene, and special award; Daniel Tellez for 1st place Monologue, 1st place duet scene, and special award; Victoria Bravo for 1st place duet scene, 1st place large group musical, 2nd place mime; Evaly Perez for 1st place large group musical, 2nd place mime; Jianna Aragon for 1st place large group musical; Mauricio Soza-Lacayo for 1st place large group musical; Nathaly Garcia for 1st place large group musical; Yolanda DePinedo for 1st place large group musical; Christopher Reyes for 1st place large group musical, 1st place duet musical, and special award; Maximus Moranvalle for 1st place duet musical and special award; and Samantha Osorio for 2nd place solo musical.
And while Ms. Fernandez admits she hasn’t decided on any specific shows or performances for next year, she can say for certain, “We always do a One-act (One-act play) for a competition, we always do a holiday show, and the class is the one chooses the theme or chooses the story. We also do a Black History show, and there’s always an end of year play or showcase and musical.”
When I asked about her students, performance throughout the year, she said “I have different students that shine through each, and I really do try my best to give opportunity to all of the students in my classes. In our one-act competition piece, the two students who stood out the most were Tifany Betancourt and Jianna Aragon. They played the two leads in the show.”
She states, “Our Holiday show, I must say, is the most fun, and is the one I enjoy the most, and for that one, Victoria Bravo was our leading lady. And she played Noelle based on the movie Noelle, where Santa’s daughter really wants to take the family’s business, but she’s a girl so she can’t. And at the end of the show, we realize Santa isn’t about gender–, it’s just about who has the spirit of Christmas. And so, Victoria Bravo really shined in that one.”
Thespians’ latest show Clue, she said “is very much an ensemble piece, and it’s all my seniors: Tifany Betancourt, Victoria Bravo, Michael Porras, Matthew Porras, Skylar Torras, Mauricio Soza-Lacayo, Denis Gutierez Jr., and Lyes Corredora.”
Reprimanding and choosing the right people for the different positions is what Ms. Fernandez found difficult as this year progressed. “The hardest thing I have to do as a sponsor is reprimand students when they are not stepping up to the plate. And that’s never fun, and that’s something I don’t enjoy doing. But sometimes it has to be done, and from those reprimands and conversations, the club just continues to move forward and continues to get better.”
Ms. Fernandez has not decided on the 2025-26 officers for Thespians yet. “I am the one who likes to decide based on helpfulness, grades, and overall participation in my classes and club,” she said. “They fill out an application and I decide what position they are best for. And the reason this is difficult is because if you choose the wrong president, then you know, the whole next year is kind of bad.”
