Washington Township High School students in the New Jersey Drama and Forensics League prove they can sing, speak and act after capturing its first state crown during a competition in February.
The league formed in 2017 and is under the direction of advisors Abby Molotsky, Jessica Kelleher and Lauren McClellan. With the state crown, they broke Mainland Regional High School’s 11-year winning streak.
New Jersey Drama and Forensics League’s (NJDFL) mission is to foster a competitive and creative outlet for high school students in the area of theater and speech, according to its website.
The league offers a series of set categories in the competitions. Some of the core categories include various styles of monologues (dramatic and comedic), scenes, improvisation and impromptu speeches.
Washington Township faced a field of 10 teams on Feb. 25. The categories and winners included:
Dramatic Oral Interpretation: Junior Eddie Mulvihill.
Humorous Oral Interpretation: Junior Dan Hillig.
Improvisational: Senior Pairs Xander Jackson and Junior John Ecker.
Contemporary Monologue: Sophomore Violet Merrigan.
Top five state finalists included:
Dramatic Pairs – third place – Junior John Ecker and Senior Kathryn Kim.
Humorous Oral Interpretation: Junior Gianna Melhorn, second place, Junior Eddie Mulvihill, fourth place.
Comedic Pairs: Seniors Holly Duym and Greg Price, second place, and Juniors Dan Hillig and Lainey Palmer, fifth place.
Musical Scene – second place – Junior Dan Hillig, Junior Talia Morrison, Junior Eddie Mulvihill, Senior Cade Padilla, Senior Holly Duym, and Junior Maize Ruggles.
Persuasive Speaking: Junior Eddie Mulvihill, second place, Junior John Ecker, third place.
Musical Solo – second place – Abby Brown.
Readers Theater – second place – Senior Holly Duym, Senior Kathryn Kim, and Junior John Ecker.
Contemporary Monologue: Junior John Ecker, second place, Senior Kathryn Kim, fifth place.
Impromptu Speaking: Junior John Ecker, third place, Gianna Melhorn, fourth place, and Cade Padilla, fifth place.
