On Saturday, January 17, three Island Pacific Academy seniors — Leianna Babas ’26, Torin Jack ’26, and Mila Dul ’26 — auditioned at the 2026 Hawaiʻi Thespians Festival at Windward Community College and each earned a full one-year scholarship to the Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts. It was a standout moment for the students and for IPA’s theater program — and a reflection of the consistent, purposeful work that has defined their years on the IPA stage.
The Hawaiʻi Thespians Festival is an annual gathering that brings together student performers from across the state for a full day of workshops, performances, and scholarship auditions. This year’s event was particularly competitive, drawing not only schools from across the islands but also a visiting school from the mainland — making the recognition earned by Leianna, Torin, and Mila all the more significant.
For each of them, stepping into the audition room meant navigating nerves, limited preparation time, and the challenge of presenting their best work under pressure.
“I was a bit nervous,” Leianna said, “but I also knew I wanted to give it my best shot.” Working on a tight timeline, she drew on songs she knew well and learned a new monologue in just two days. “I was very proud of myself. I was able to pull this off with the many skills I have developed over the years. If it was a year ago, I would have needed to plan a lot in advance.”
For Torin, the audition pushed him into entirely new territory. Having performed his first monologue only earlier that year, he leaned on the support around him to find his footing. “Mrs. Dul and the theater program helped me clear my mind and just go in there and give it my all,” he said. “I had so much support from Mrs. Dul, Mrs. Babas, and my friends — it helped me relax.” When the results came in, the moment carried deep personal meaning. “Growing up I never felt like I had something special that was really good and personal to me,” he reflected. “Getting that scholarship was proof that I had finally achieved that.”
Theater teacher Brandi Dul noted that none of the students had specifically trained for the audition. Instead, they drew on work already developed in class — rehearsals, performances, and skills built over time. “It was all in their repertoire,” she said. “They didn’t necessarily prepare for the audition itself — it was all things they had already done and worked on in class. Most people train to win the audition, but we kept focused on the work. So when the outcome was so great, it felt even better.”
The Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts offers a distinctive opportunity for students to pursue serious training close to home. With a focus on local playwrights, original work, and community engagement — and a connection to a prestigious acting conservatory in London — the program provides a meaningful pathway for students committed to the craft. Scholarship recipients also have the opportunity to be hired within the Conservatory’s own productions, giving them real-world professional experience from the start.
For Leianna, who has been involved in IPA theater since Junior Kindergarten, the scholarship affirms a lifelong commitment. “The many after-school hours of dancing, singing, and acting have all led to this moment,” she said. She plans to continue pursuing theater beyond high school — in community productions, classes, or wherever the stage takes her. Torin, who discovered theater only in 10th grade and quickly fell in love with it, plans to pursue chemical engineering in college while continuing to audition and perform. And Mila, whose journey in the program has been shaped in part by growing up alongside it, steps into this next chapter with the same foundation that brought all three of them to this moment.
IPA brought one of the largest delegations to this year’s festival — more than double the size of any other attending school — and students were recognized throughout the day for their preparation, talent, and the way they supported one another. It is a reflection of what the theater program at Island Pacific Academy has become: a place where students are known, challenged, and given every opportunity to shine.
We are incredibly proud of Leianna, Torin, and Mila, and deeply grateful to Brandi Dul for the passion and dedication she brings to this program every day.
Congratulations, Navigators.
