Like many students at Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23) returned to campus following pandemic stay-at-home orders with the drive to experience the school to the fullest extent possible. She was ready to take advantage of every opportunity and dive into any project that allowed her to explore her creativity and grow in her art form.
“I subconsciously find ways to stay here for as many hours as I possibly can, which isn’t wonderful for my sleep schedule, but I’ve never been happier. I would just move in if I could,” she said.
Elora first heard about OCSA from her sister, Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25). Elora applied and was accepted to the Creative Writing (CW) in 2019, where she began nurturing her love for storytelling.
“I am made of stories. I got my name, Elora, from the baby heroine in Willow. I got my love of dogs from Lady and the Tramp, my love of cooking from Ratatouille, my imagination from Harry Potter, and my sense of humor from Modern Family. These stories are in my DNA, and these characters are like my second family,” she said.
Throughout her time at OCSA, Elora has sought out moments that would allow her to work with and learn from her peers in and outside of her conservatory.
Elora played a big role in The El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory’s collaborative production of Hamlet, which featured the work of Digital Media, Production & Design, Ballroom Dance, Ballet & Contemporary Dance, Commercial Dance, and Ballet Folklórico Dance conservatories.
She served as the assistant director to Acting Conservatory Director Mr. John Walcutt, and directed and co-wrote the comedy pre-show, a piece created to make the plot of Hamlet easily accessible to any audience. This show also gave her the chance to work alongside Kaya, who played the role of Ophelia in the show.
Kaya and Elora also worked together for the annual New Play Festival to co-write a one-act play, “Wings.” Their story followed a cemetery groundskeeper named Charlie who befriends a young girl, and through their relationship he is able to heal from the tragic loss of his son.
“What I love about writing these types of stories is that they have lives beyond the page. When I write a script, I feel like I’m creating a little seed that will grow into a big, beautiful tree that directors, actors, and audience members will nourish forever. The collaboration, the energy, and the glorious artistic enthusiasm is what fuels my soul. New Play Festival has been a total game changer for me and other budding writers, directors, and actors alike and it’s something we all look forward to every year,” Elora said.
Elora also served as a head writer and showrunner for OCSA Unleashed, a collaborative, Saturday Night Live-style sketch-comedy show that involved students in the Creative Writing, El-Erian Family Acting, Film & Television, and Production & Design conservatories.
In addition to her collaborations with other students, Elora has also focused her attention on her poetry.
She recently participated in Creative Writing’s annual poetry competition OC RYSE, for the third year in a row.
Elora is also involved with Get Lit where she serves as one of 15 Get Lit Players and OCSA’s Slam Poetry team captain. Get Lit Players is a competitive slam poetry troupe that practices every Saturday and frequently performs. As part of this group, Elora has performed at venues like the Irish Consulate and Vans Channel 66, but most recently she performed at the Grammy Museum in celebration of the new Spoken Word category of the Grammy Awards.
She said that this performance was very special because not only will poets begin getting the Grammy recognition they deserve, but singer-songwriter and former Get Lit Player, H.E.R., and some of her other favorite poets like Sekou Andrews, J. Ivy, and Shihan Van Clief were in attendance.
As OCSA’s team captain, she leads her peers in the annual Get Lit Classic Slam where they compete against other high schools from across Southern California. Last year, with Elora as team captain, their group made it to the finals for the first time in OCSA history.
“Usually, I am a pretty relaxed person, but this is the one time each year when my competitive streak comes through. I go all out for the classic slam. It’s like the Super Bowl of high school slam poetry. I love it,” she said.
In just a few weeks, Elora will be at the start of a new adventure, likely continuing to soak in every opportunity for growth that is presented to her. She said she plans to study playwriting, screenwriting and film with the goals of becoming a Saturday Night Live showrunner, the next Duffer Brothers duo with her sister, and a coming-of-age movie writer and director like Greta Gerwig.