On April 23, 2026, Calabasas High School’s Theater Program held its annual Shakespeare Festival Showcase in the PAEC, giving students the opportunity to perform their scenes before attending DTASC (Drama Teachers Association of Southern California) Shakespeare Festival. The showcase served as both a preview of selected competition pieces and a final performance of other groups in the class.
In preparation for the festival, theater students were divided into groups and assigned different Shakespeare scenes across a variety of categories, including comedies and monologues. Each group spent weeks rehearsing and refining their performances in class.
Sophomore Hunter Mahoney explained that preparation for the showcase took significant time and effort.
“We’ve had a couple of months now to get our scene working and everything,” Mahoney said.
The event featured a variety of scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, and Romeo and Juliet. Students worked in small groups for weeks to prepare their performances, focusing on memorization, interpretation, and staying within strict time limits required for competition.
Students were also evaluated on multiple aspects of their performance. According to Mahoney, timing plays a major role in scoring.
“It is very strict. If you go even a minute over, they’ll deduct points,” he said.
Not every group advances to the DTASC festival. Scenes are evaluated within their categories, and only the strongest performances are selected to compete. In cases where only one group is entered in a category, that group automatically advances. However, all groups are still graded on their work, making the processes both competitive and academic.
Sophomore Ellie Berman said that preparation required both understanding and performance skills.
“We get graded on performance, memorization, and actually knowing what we’re saying in Shakespeare,” Berman said.
This showcase plays an important role because the DTASC festival itself is a closed event, meaning friends and family are not able to watch the performances. As a result, the showcase provides a rare opportunity for the school community to see the selected scenes before they compete.
Theater director Bill Garrett ultimately chooses which groups will move on to DTASC based on their performances.
“He’d love to bring everyone, but he has to pick which groups he thinks would be the best,” Mahoney said.
Sophomore Oliver Vaisman added that the selection process itself is complex and requires balancing multiple factors.
“Mr. Garrett sees all of the scenes, gets feedback, and then places each group where they fit best; it’s kind of like a puzzle,” Vaisman said.
Sophomore Sophie Prestegard emphasized how the selection process works within categories.
“Depending on the number of people in each category, you can only choose one group,” Prestegard said.
Prestegard noted that her group spent months researching and selecting the right scene.
“We figured out what category we wanted to do, and then we looked up shows and scenes and found one we liked,” she said.
For some students, the process involved unexpected challenges. Vaisman explained that his group had to restart their scene shortly before the showcase.
“We had one day to make the entire cutting of the script,” Vaisman said. “We’ve been working a lot around the clock.”
For some students, the showcase also acts as their final performance. While certain groups are chosen to move forward in the festival, others may not advance but are still given the chance to perform their work on stage.
Students who are not selected still attend the festival as room chairs, helping manage timing and organization during the competition.
Prestegard explained that this allows everyone to stay involved.
“You can be a room chair and make sure groups don’t go over time,” she said.
The DTASC Shakespeare Festival will take place on Saturday, April 25, where selected CHS groups will join students from across Southern California to compete and perform. The event focuses entirely on Shakespearean works, highlighting students’ abilities in classical theater. At the festival, there are no props, scenery, or costumes allowed. Each group is allowed 4 folding chairs, and as such, actors at Showcase used chairs to enhance each performance.
Overall, the Shakespeare Festival Showcase highlights the dedication and creativity of CHS theater students, offering a final moment to perform, reflect, and celebrate their work before heading into competition.
