Oak Grove Drama takes on SETC

After winning Best in State at the Mississippi Theatre Association competition for their performance of The Jungalbook in November, the Drama family traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee, March 7-11 to the Southeastern Theatre Conference to compete against other high school drama groups in the southeastern United States. The Oak Grove Theatre Department has been to SETC six times in the past few years, so this year was a continuation of their winning tradition.
In order to prepare for SETC, the drama students participated in a number of fundraisers, including several encore performances of The Jungalbook, and rehearsed the show to get it perfect for the competition. All of their months of hard work paid off at SETC. The show won the Golden Wrench Award, given to the most professional group at the conference, and the Judges’ Choice Award for outstanding makeup, costumes, and body art. Xavier Martin, senior, made All-Star Cast at SETC for his exceptional performance, and eight of Oak Grove’s students received a combined total of $220,000 in scholarships for their acting and creative designs. “I am grateful I got to perform with such an awesome group of talented students, and even though we didn’t bring home the title, we did bring home a better knowledge of teamwork and became closer as we progressed through the season. Because at the end of the day, we are one blood!” said Martin.
“I am extremely proud of our cast and crew,” said Suzanne Allmon, director. “It is very hard to work for eight months on a show like this. I’m proud of their performance as well as their attitude.” The Jungalbook’s achievements at SETC seem like an excellent way to finish out Oak Grove Theatre’s successful competition season and set the bar high for next year’s show.