On the evening of Tuesday, May 24, JFK’s most talented performers graced the stage with the debut of the first ever ITS theatre gala. If you didn’t get to attend the gala, or just want a refresher on the vibrant night, The Torch has your back.
What’s ITS?
The ITS—which stands for International Thespian Society—was recently introduced to JFK as an honor society for exceptional members of the school’s theater program. The society aims to give aspiring actors the opportunity to shine on stage with events such as the gala.
Behind the scenes
The ITS aimed to create an event that would be both memorable and beneficial for the future of the society, that’s when the members decided that a fundraiser to showcase the students’ talent, would be the perfect option.
In preparation, an interest meeting was held along with auditions to confirm what act each student would perform. According to Mrs. Montalvo, numerous planning meetings, rehearsals and progress checks took place in preparation for the big night. The devoted actors and actresses gave it their all to make a lasting impact for their final performance of the school year.
“We had rehearsals beforehand and MJ [Muhammad Javed] directed our scene, so it was really helpful,”senior Raena Patel states. “…and backstage we always have our little things that we do before the performance, like the shake out. I always listen to ‘The Way I Talk’ by Morgan Wallen before every performance.”
The big debut
The recent gala was special for both its first-time occurrence on the Kennedy stage and also for its flexibility. The school’s theater enthusiasts were able to showcase the versatility of their talents by delivering monologues, singing, dancing and even directing!
Upon entry, volunteers gave guests both a smile and an event guide, similar to a playbill, which listed out the many performances of the night. Guests enjoyed scenes from iconic Broadway shows such as “Beetlejuice,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Chicago.”
‘To be, or not to be’ good at delivering monologues
The gala performers definitely chose the latter. Lines were delivered with emotion. Facial expressions told the stories moreso than words. Voice fluctuations in dialogue showed characters when angry, nervous, sad & glad—an allusion to the gala’s thirteeth performance of the night.
“Sad & Glad” was a heartwarming ode to the very first fall play at JFK: “Almost, Maine.” Junior Muhammad “MJ” Javed, who made his theater debut with “Almost, Maine,” directed the scene for his former “High School Musical” castmates Shane Sudia, Ashlee Yamzon and Raena Patel.
Javed also took part in the gala’s ninth performance of the night, which was one of the most memorable. He played Amos Hart in the “Chicago ” medley scene. It was definitely a highlight; the classy aesthetic was truly done justice with the old-money costumes, relaxed choreography, and scandalous songs.
While the Chicago scene had guests invested in its investigations and murder trials, other monologues had audience members either emotional or laughing: tears were involved in both cases. Some of the most powerful monologues included “Frozen Moment” where Cyenna Rivera (ITS Vice President) played a mother who tells about her greatest dream and most tragic moment, the loss of her daughter. Earlier in the night, Rivera shared the stage with ITS president Leilanie Lima for “Man or Muppet.” Lima also delivered a heavy monologue from the perspective of her character who did not feel seen. In “Passing Game,” Lima delivered a touching line as she pleaded “Don’t keep killing me like this. Let me live.”
“Prodigal Son,” the second-to-last performance, was another magnificent monologue. It is most famously delivered by Timotheé Chalamet during his days at the Manhatten Theatre Club. The main character is a conflicted teen, violent yet gifted, who talks about finding your place in the world in adolescence when respect is expected of you, but rarely given. In the Kennedy auditorium, this iconic monologue was delivered by Daylin “Gisselle” Arellano. It comes to no surprise that Arellano killed it on stage; after all, she was one of the semi-finalists of the STANJ (Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey) competition for Dramatic Monologue.
Killer vocals
In between powerful monologue deliveries were awe-striking musical performances that kept audience members on the edge of their seats. ITS had a line-up of iconic, memorable, musical scenes from Broadway’s best. Some of the senior stars including Shane Sudia, Chinmay Sagar and Vihaan Agarwal killed it on their renditions of songs from “Dear Evan Hansen.”
“Sincerely, Me” was such an entertaining number, filling the auditorium with sounds of laughter and impressive harmonies as Agarwal and Sudia performed as Evan Hansen and Connor Murphy. Agarwal was able to shift to a more somber mood to perform the slower-paced song “For Forever.” Earlier in the night, junior Sakinah Glenn (Lydia) joined Yamzon (Barbara) and Sagar (Adam) as the trio pulled through with harmonizing the climax note of “Say My Name” from “Beetlejuice.” Jessica Castro (Veronica) and Lily Bausch (JD) also killed it in their duet from “Heathers The Musical” called “Seventeen.”
Another duet highlight from the show was when Senior Gabriella Herrera joined Agarwal on stage as Susan and Jon to perform “Therapy” from “Tick, Tick Boom.” We were taken aback by their skill as they performed the satirical, fast-paced song.
Scholarship
The talented senior, Herrera, was gifted with a scholarship of $20 thousand for her skill and dedication as an actress and singer. She will be attending one of the most prestigious performing arts schools in the country, the Berklee College of Music.
Her professionalism was extremely vivid in her last performance, “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” in which technical difficulties that would’ve otherwise hindered her performance only made it brilliant. Her improvisation was seamless; at first, we were under the impression that it was part of the script itself.
“There were a few technical difficulties in the beginning, but we never know what to expect in the theater, so I was prepared for that,” Herrera states. “When I started singing, I felt completely in my element, so I wasn’t swayed by it; I felt confident.”
The final farewell
As the 2024 school year draws its curtains, the graduating seniors bid farewell at their last theatre performance in JFK.
Senior Petar Cvijanovic, who played Clark alongside Veronika Pankov in “A Night Under the Stars”, explained that he will miss acting at JFKMHS.
Along with the bittersweet emotions came the fond memories created with the cast members onstage and behind the scenes.
“We do a prayer circle right before every performance; that really helps get rid of all the nerves,” Javad explains. “It’s like a ritual we do every year before every performance and it helps me collect myself and get in the zone.”
After the curtain call, the gala culminated with a thoughtful surprise for Mrs. Montalvo, organized by the seniors. She was presented with flowers, posters, and gifts as ITS officers and seniors gave speeches expressing their love and appreciation for the advisor who will be missing the first half of the school year while she is on maternity leave.
