By Oliver Gable
and Diego Marcucci
Staff Writers
The Mira Costa Drama Department, including the Mira Costa tech class, excelled at the Fullerton College Theater Festival and Tech Olympics on March 14-15 at Fullerton College.
This year, both Costa drama and tech won the Sweepstakes Award, which is given to the best overall school at the festival. The Drama Department won first place for its performances of “The Crucible” and “Peter Pan,” and the tech class won two gold medals and one silver medal.
Junior Alex Jarus also won second place in the graphic design competition for his poster design for “The Crucible,” by Arthur Miller, Costa’s fall play.
“I was overjoyed,” Jarus said. “My award was the first they announced, and I was so excited when they called my name. I can not wait to go back to the festival next year.”
The tech team competed in eight different challenges at the competition, including costume quick change, lighting focus, knot tying, tool usage, prop quick change, tool and hardware identification and electrical wiring.
“I think that our teams struggled a little bit on the first day, but we were able to get the hang of things by the second day, and we performed well,” tech member and junior Kai Borich said.
The tech team’s two gold medals were awarded for prop quick change and to junior Anastasia Pineschi for fastest knot tying. They also won a silver medal for lighting focus.
“I was especially surprised on winning the gold because this was my first time at the Fullerton festival,” Pineschi said. “I’m also thrilled that we won the Sweepstake Award because we worked so hard.”
This festival is used as a way for the best drama departments in the Southern California and the surrounding areas to compete against each other. Costa has cemented itself as one of the top programs by winning the Sweepstakes award two years in a row.
“We are all so proud,” senior Estefania Freire said. “Going into the competition, we all felt we were going to be one of the best. After winning last year, we knew we had a chance, but nothing can prepare you for the excitement when they announce the winners. I am so happy to be a member of such a talented group of people who I know will be extremely successful for years to come.”
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