Opening Knight Players Win State Drama Festival

The Opening Knight Players of recently took numerous top honors at the 76th Annual Connecticut Drama Association’s Annual Play Festival held on March 23 and March 24.  

Festival adjudicators named Ellington High School’s production of Almost, Maine this year’s Outstanding Production. This award is given to the school that incorporated and integrated all aspects of theater into a superior work of art.

As a result, the OKP will represent CDA and Connecticut at the New England Drama Council Festival April 26-28 in Gilford, NH. 

In addition to being named Outstanding Production, OKP members Jon Mackintosh, Kristyn Stauffer, and Josh Feldman earned Outstanding Actor/Actress Awards. These are the highest acting honors given at the festival for individual achievement, awarded for truly superior work in creating and developing characters in an artistic manner. In addition, Anthony Velazquez and Jon Kutscher also earned Honorable Mentions for Acting.

Finally, the OKP’s production also earned the festival’s Outstanding Characterization Award. The Adjudicators awarded the troupe this award for creating believable characters and effective concentration.

To help raise funds for the festival expenses, the OKP will be holding a benefit performance of Almost, Maine on Wednesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Gordon C. Getchell Auditorium at Ellington High School.