Zachary High School Drama student, Courtney Anderson, won a coveted spot competing on the stage of the historic Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York City. She competed in the Next Narrative Monologue Contest at the regional level at Southern Methodist University in Dallas on Saturday, March 19. There she was the second-place finalist which earned her a chance to represent the region and Zachary High School in NYC from April 29-May2. Courtney is coached by her Talented Theatre teacher, Mrs. Heather Feierabend.
Courtney is a junior who is active in choir, theatre, and Talented Theatre. She has performed in High School Musical, ’50s Bandstand, and Beauty and the Beast with ZCSS. She was also selected to perform as a member of the 2022 Texas Thespian Festival All-State Cast. Courtney is a member of the BRYC (Baton Rouge Youth Coalition) and she is the daughter of Kisha Wells and Robert Anderson.
The Artistic Director of the True Colors Theatre in Atlanta Georgia, Jamil Jude, conceived of the Next Narrative Monologue CompetitionTM (NNMC) in the context of his desire to center the Black artist in an environment that understands the context of their work. As part of the Next Narrative program, Jamil has reached into his professional network to commission work from fifty Black playwrights that reflect the rich diversity of the Black community.
NNMC serves high school students, grades 9-12. In each participating region, students progress through three rounds of competition: preliminaries, semi-finals, and a regional final. The top two winners from each regional competition participate in the National Finals, receiving an all-expense-paid trip to New York City that includes workshops with theatre professionals, performance at the Apollo Theater, a ticket to a Broadway show, and cash prizes for the top three winners.
The ZHS Drama Department continues to earn scholarships and recognition locally, state-wide, regionally as well as nationally. Ryann McClure and Kaleigh Louque were Louisiana Tech University Tech Theatre scholarship recipients. In the “Poetry Out Loud’ Competition, Camilla Howell was named State Runner-up. In the District Speech Rally, several ZHS Drama students placed in multiple categories. Caroline Cresap, First Place Poetry; Joseph Fields, First Place Dramatic Interpretation; Kennedy Hughes, First Place Original Oratory; Tia Joiner, First Place Prose; Ethan Stagg, Second Place Prose; Chloe Delee, Third Place Prose; John Browning and Ryann McClure, Second Place Dynamic Duo; and Andre’a Condol and Camilla Howell, Third Place Dynamic Duo. Two Drama students were also winners of the Demco Essay Contest, earning an all-expense-paid trip to Washington DC in June. The ZHS Drama department students are taught by Jennifer Masterson, Rosemary Witcher, and Heather Feierabend.
