LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Orinda students take home Excellence in Acting award at JTF-West


From left: Alice Olson (Miramonte freshman), Ava Dhaliwal (Miramonte sophomore), Hannah Johnson?(Miramonte senior), Diego Aguilar (Miramonte junior); Across: Bella Verrico (Orinda Intermediate School) Photo provided

Over the president's day weekend, five students from Orinda Intermediate School and Miramonte High School participated in the Junior Theatre Festival (JTF) West. JTF is a three-day festival and the largest celebration of young people performing musical theater. This year there were 38 teams competing and representing 13 U.S. states as well as an international team from South Korea. These kids are part of the Advanced Performers students for Bay Area Children's Theater (BACT) which currently enrolls 24 students. They took home one of the five awards for Excellence in Acting for their performance of "Xanadu JR."

All five kids participate in the arts programs offered by Orinda public schools and have done so since their elementary school days. BACT cast for "Xanadu JR." ranges from sixth graders through high school seniors. It is very impressive to see the camaraderie and support they offer to each other despite the age range, and as they all have described it this has been a life changing experience for them. "Xanadu JR." was presented to the public March 10?and 11 in Berkeley.