A group of Daviess County High School theatre students recently earned a top-5 finish at a national conference, capping off a year-long journey that began with a state championship and culminated in an unforgettable performance and experience in Baltimore, Maryland.
After winning the Kentucky Theatre Association’s state one-act play competition in November, DCHS earned an invitation to the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), held March 19-23. Theatre teacher Karen Feldhaus said the team performed “The Coloring Book,” a play that uses the metaphor of a children’s coloring book to explore themes of beauty, identity, and societal division.
“We were state champions, so we went, and so did Clay County,” Feldhaus said. “We competed against 17 other schools from across the Southeast. A lot of these were magnet schools or arts-focused schools with incredible talent and resources. We were definitely the underdogs.”
Despite having the challenge of performing at 10 p.m. on their competition night, Feldhaus said her students delivered their best performance yet.
“We were all exhausted, and honestly, after the feedback from the respondent, I thought we wouldn’t win anything,” she said. “But at the gala, they started announcing the finalists, and we were the last one called. We were absolutely gobsmacked. That meant we were in the top five at a national conference.”
Seniors Seanna Haynes and Paige Conkright were among the students representing Daviess County. Both were amazed by the experience.
“I was so shocked, I didn’t think it was real,” Haynes said. “It was amazing to hear our school’s name called.”
In addition to performing, students participated in workshops covering stage combat, Shakespeare, musical theatre, and set design. Haynes was responsible for the on-stage coloring book prop, while the entire cast worked on sets and costumes. Feldhaus said the production was a true ensemble effort, with students contributing in nearly every aspect — including backstage management, lighting, and design.
“They were involved in all aspects of it,” she said. “We even had a student who wasn’t able to travel design the pages of the coloring book based on the script.”
The play itself had been in Feldhaus’s collection for nearly 8 years. She said she was waiting for the right group of students to bring it to life.
“This group of seniors has been through a lot,” she said. “Their first performance at DCHS was in masks. Now they’re being recognized on a national stage. I couldn’t be prouder.”
SETC also offered an opportunity for students to meet college representatives, network with theatre professionals, and attend other festival performances.
“There were five festivals happening at once — high schools, community theatres, college showcases, a fringe festival, and short plays,” Feldhaus said. “It was incredible for them to see what’s possible in this field.”
Two DCHS students, Owen Frakes and Devon Carr, were recognized as Outstanding Performers. While the team did not take home a placement trophy, Feldhaus said being named a finalist among such elite company was a historic achievement.
Feldhaus, herself a graduate of Daviess County High School, said it was the first time the school had advanced to the national conference in decades.
“When I was a student here, we always went to KTA, but we never advanced. The last time the school went to a national competition was in the early ’80s,” she said. “To go from hauling our set in a pickup truck and school van to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with schools arriving in semi-trucks — it was surreal.”
The team received help from the school district and generous donors to fund the trip. The students, many of whom have taken every available theatre course at DCHS, rehearsed for nearly 10 months.
“It wasn’t just a couple weeks of practice,” Conkright said. “We started last year. We worked through breaks and even during the day when we didn’t have class.”
Haynes added, “It brought us all closer together. We became better friends, and the experience really brought us together.”
