Five students from Westover’s Drama Program competed in the Connecticut Drama Association (CDA) first-ever VIRTUAL CT Drama Association Monologue Competition on Saturday, November 21, and one of them — JaMara Jean ’22 — was named as one of the five winners in the competition. The other Westover students taking part in the contest were Maddie Abate ’21, Katy Wolff ’21, Jillian Brown ’22, and Lexi Mays ’23.
“I am so proud and grateful for all of my students, and I am thrilled for JaMara,” said Marla Truini, Director of the Drama Program.
“The CDA Monologue Competition — held on the video platform Zoom — was a wonderful way for drama students across Connecticut to stay connected, see each other’s work, and keep the flame of theatre alive during the pandemic,” Marla added. “The students performed one- by-one for a panel of five adjudicators, after which the judges conferred for 30 minutes and the winners were announced.”
JaMara was one of five students from across the state who were recognized by the adjudicators.
“JaMara performed one of Nora’s monologues from Brighton Beach Memoirs,” Marla said, “in which the character remembers her father by describing reaching into his coat pocket as a child: ‘... like Juicy Fruit gum or Spearmint Life Savers and bits of cellophane and crumbled pieces of tobacco and movie stubs and nickels and pennies and rubber bands and paper clips and his grey suede gloves that he wore in the winter time.’ The sensory recollection of her childhood experiences creates a poignant framework for finally accepting her father’s passing.”
“I am delighted that JaMara’s performance was recognized for its excellence,” Marla added. “She captured the essence of sorrow and loss experienced by the character through subtle and personalized character choices. As we wait until we can safely reopen our theatre, students have an opportunity to hone their on-camera work, and I look forward to continuing to work with JaMara and to support her many talents.”
CDA President Ethan Warner thanked all the schools and the 20 students who took part in the competition. “I was absolutely blown away by the level of talent, preparation, and skill displayed by the students and reminded once again of how fortunate I am to work with such excellent educators and learners. The adjudicators had nothing but wonderful things to say and all who had students participate should be immensely proud of them.”
In addition to JaMara, the other four students honored for their monologues were from Orville H. Platt High School in Meriden, E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, Joel Barlow High School in Redding, and Stamford High School.
