Monologues bring awards

March 16 will be a big day for West Port High School senior Julio Chavez.

Julio Chavez

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As the winner of the Best of the Best Performance award in the 2010 District 12 Thespian Festival he is part of the opening ceremonies, March 16, for this year’s state thespian festival.

To get the Best of the Best Performance award, Chavez performed two monologues. One was from A Midsummer Night in the OC and the other The Boys Next Door in front of three adjudicators at the district festival. He earned the “critic’s choice award” for his monologues. As a critic choice winner he and the other winners performed during closing ceremonies of the district festival. Each critic choice winner was re-adjucated by five judges and Chavez was selected as Best of the Best.

Chavez has been involved with the drama program at West Port, Marion County School for the Arts, for four year.

Drama has been helpful for him.

“The drama program has allowed me to break out of my shell. I used to be very shy and now, thanks to theatre, I am much more outgoing,” he said.

Recently, Chavez played the role of “Peter” in the school’s production of the musical “Footloose.”

School starts earlier for Chavez than other students because he’s also in the school’s chorus. Four days a week they practice before school so they are ready for performances in nearby venues including Stone Creek, On Top of the World and The Villages.

Besides drama and chorus Chavez finds time to maintain a 4.5-grade-point average and play the guitar.

Last month provided another big day for Chavez.

On Feb. 11, he received notice he was accepted for the 2012 fall term at the University of Florida. He will work toward a degree in computer engineering. He also plans on getting his master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Pa., focusing on the hardware aspects of computer engineering.

Chavez, like 13 other of his classmates, hopes to enjoy some big days by performing at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

West Port was one of 65 (out of 2,000 high schools nominated) selected to perform at the prestigious festival in Scotland. West Port was the only school in Florida invited to perform.

Students signed up for the trip and been selling discount cards, putting on special performances including one at Black Diamond and raising money on their own. The trip is expected to cost $90,000, said Janet Shelley, drama teacher at the school.

The recent “howling” event raised $700 for the coffers.

Another $45,000 is still needed to make the trip reality.

“I hope the community realizes that this is a good opportunity for our students and contribute,” she said.

Residents wishing to donate to the cause may send donations to the West Port High School, Drama Department, 3733 S.W. 80th Ave., Ocala, Fl., 34481. For more information, call 291-4000.