And the award for best ensemble cast goes to….Ludlow!

This award as well as honors for seniors Andrew Lavigne, Stephanie Glanville, and Sean McCarthy for set design was all received by the Ludlow Drama Fiefdom, led by seven-year veteran advisor Tara Clark, at the MHSDG festival preliminary round on March 5.

The competition took place at Shrewsbury High School where Ludlow and a variety of other schools including Oxford High School, Eagle Hill High School, Wilbraham Monson Academy and, surprisingly, Mass Academy of Math and Science, all competed for the coveted three spots that would advance into the semifinal round.

Despite the caliber of the competition, including the defending state champion Chelmsford High School, Ludlow Drama almost certainly won the day, earning their spot and receiving rave reviews from the judges and from their competitors.

“Clean it up and take it on tour,” said one of the three judges, normally staunch in their criticisms of amateur drama productions.

Even more impressive about Ludlow’s second advancement to the semifinal round in two years is the character of adversity that has cast its shadow over the group in recent months.  Within recent history of the club’s endeavors the school auditorium closed under the weight of massive snow storms, one of the sets built by Sean McCarthy proved to be a fire hazard and was dismantled, and another set was lost within the auditorium and thus was irretrievable.

Yet, the tribulations of the club couldn’t be less evident onstage, evidently, where one judge of the festival told one Stephanie Glanville: “Wow. Your monologue blew me away. It felt more honest than half the monologues I’ve seen on any professional stage.”

Largely, the Ludlow Drama Fiefdom is independently funded by the club members, and the efforts of solicitation throughout the town funded their enterprise throughout the year.  In fact, the trip to the preliminary round alone cost every single club member $200 a piece.  Now that they’ve succeeded in the first round, the trip to semis will cost another $100 per person.

But not every dollar comes directly out of pocket; the fiefdom as arranged for fundraisers, such as the upcoming fundraiser at the Unitarian Church of Northampton on Saturday, March 12.

Clark, the advisor and director is often the club’s biggest critic of all, and perhaps her commentary about her club’s progress is the best indicator of success.

“In the seven years I’ve been here, their performance is the best I’ve ever seen.”

Hopefully they can continue their semi-professional run all the way to states, but for the time being, their achievement alone, in the face of continued adversity stands alone as something to be proud of.