Students from High Tech High School have been honored with the "Coup de Cœur du Costume" award at the 2026 Première Scène Theater Festival, hosted by the Cultural Center of the Lycée Français de New York.
The festival, a cornerstone of the Francophone cultural calendar since 1999, brings together over 400 students from the United States, Canada, France, and beyond. This year’s theme, "Curiosité" (Curiosity), challenged participants to perform original or excerpted works in French, limited to five minutes with minimal set design.
The High Tech High School ensemble( Milan Zhu, Soolim Bae, Kohana Matsuno) captivated the jury with the scene titled, "Une voyante qui n'a pas perdu la boule !" (A fortune teller who hasn't lost her marbles!).
"Winning the 'Coup de Cœur' is a testament to our students' creativity and their ability to blend language arts with visual storytelling," said Dr. Laje Gashi. "To compete on an international stage at the Lycée Français and be recognized by a professional jury is an incredible milestone for our French program."
The Première Scène festival provides a unique immersion experience, requiring students to master complex French dialogue while performing in front of a live audience and a distinguished jury of artists and educators. High Tech High School’s success highlights the strength of its world language department and its commitment to providing students with global cultural opportunities.
Here’s the video of their performance
For more info about the event:
https://culturalcenter.lfny.org/student-festivals/premiere-scene-theater-festival
