Arts and Letters’ Ohio River Valley Chapter holds competition
National Society of Arts and Letters’ Ohio River Valley Chapter 2023 Drama competition winner David Obeng receives congratulations from David Rexroad, competition chair for the Ohio River Valley Chapter. (Photo Provided)
Ohio River Valley Chapter drama competitors are, first row, from left, Amanda Sant, Kendal Rayborn, David Obeng and Kirsten Banieh. Standing are judges Dayton Willison, Casiha Felt, Jeff Haught and Wesley Young. (Photo Provided)
National Society of Arts and Letters’ Ohio River Valley Chapter 2023 Drama competition winner David Obeng receives congratulations from David Rexroad, competition chair for the Ohio River Valley Chapter. (Photo Provided)
Ohio River Valley Chapter drama competitors are, first row, from left, Amanda Sant, Kendal Rayborn, David Obeng and Kirsten Banieh. Standing are judges Dayton Willison, Casiha Felt, Jeff Haught and Wesley Young. (Photo Provided)
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PARKERSBURG -- A student at Ohio State University won first place in the National Society of Arts and Letters' Ohio River Valley Chapter 2023 Drama Competition.
First place went to David Obeng, who received $1,000.
Obeng also will be the representative of the Ohio River Valley Chapter in the 2023 National Drama Competition that will be held May 18-20 in Louisville, Ky. The winner at the national competition will receive $15,000.
Drama is one of several competition themes that rotate from year to year. The last national winner of the Drama Competition was Jonathan Majors who is best known for his recent roles in "Ant Man and the Wasp" and "Creed III.'
The local competition was held March 25 at the Smoot Theatre in Parkersburg.
Second-place and $750 went to Kendal Rayborn, University of Cincinnati. Third-place and $500 went to Amanda Sant, also of the University of Cincinnati.
Competition participants were between 18 and 30 and presented three memorized monologues, one from each of three categories of classical theater, 20th century theater and contemporary theater of 2001 to the present.
Judges were: Casiha Felt, an assistant professor of theater at Marietta College, Jeff Haught, director of theater and choral activities at Riverside High School at Belle, W.Va.; Dayton Edward Willison, a theater instructor for the Dublin Abbey Theater in Columbus; and Wesley Young, theater professor at Radford (Va.) University, Radford.