Knightly News

Episcopal Thespians Earn Superior at Nationals

With a first place finish in the Chapter Select competition at the Louisiana Thespian Festival, the Episcopal thespians earned a spot at the International Thespian Festival at Indiana University this summer. The trip north was well worth it as the student actors earned four Superior ratings in the Thespy Awards in the following categories.

• Solo Musical Theatre Performance: Joey Roth – “Wondering”
• Solo Acting: Madeleine Guidry – “Crimes of the Heart/Bad Jews”
• Solo Acting: John Porter Saurage – “All My Sons/Baskerville”
• Group Musical Theatre Dance: John Luke Boagni, Marshall Elliott, Madeleine Guidry, Sophia Horridge, Ella Palfi, Joey Roth, Lily Kathryn Watts, Riana Yano – “The Nicest Kids in Town”

In addition, the Group Musical Theatre Dance was one of only 23 acts to receive a callback out of the 1,300+ acts entered. The actors performed the Louisiana Chapter Select cut from “Bat Boy: The Musical” and received a commendation and certificate from Broadway Licensing, which owns the right to the play.  Senior Joey Roth was selected to perform in the commissioned musical “Family Album” by Joe Iconis, providing him the opportunity to rehearse with Iconis and students from throughout the country. Joey also earned a scholarship for continued study in the performing arts from the Princess Grace Foundation. Junior Lily Kathryn Watts performed in a ten-minute play during the 24 Hour Play Fest after only a short rehearsal time.

The experience also included significant learning opportunities. “I think I speak for the group when I say that our experience at ITF was incredible!” says Joey. “We got to work with industry professionals, learning in workshops with kids like us from around the country who are passionate about theater. Being on a college campus for a week of theater work was especially exciting for us because, for lots of us, this could be what we do in college and later in life. It was just an overall fantastic experience.”

Join us in congratulating our Episcopal thespians! Check out the school calendar for upcoming performance dates.

Quiz Bowl State Champs Compete Nationally

After an outstanding Division II state championship title, Episcopal Quiz Bowl team members set their sights on the High School National Championship Tournament in Atlanta, Georgia, this summer. Scott McAdams ’23, Carter McLean ’23, Ahebwa Muhumuza and Rainier deGravelles represented the Knights well, competing in 10 rounds and finishing with a 5 – 5 record. In addition, Carter placed in the top 10% of scorers. 

Quiz Bowl Coach Dr. Billy Pritchard says after such a tremendous year, it felt like the next logical step was to compete nationally, and he’s looking forward to another great year of Episcopal Quiz Bowl. While students practice regularly, he says student effort in the classroom sets them up for such success. “Quiz Bowl is easier here because they learn in class and have a solid base of knowledge,” he says. “The academic strength of the school shows.”

Dr. Pritchard says the camaraderie of the team members also shows. “It’s a place where you can be the best version of you,” he says of the Episcopal Quiz Bowl community. Quiz Bowl is open to anyone interested in participating. Students who are interested in Quiz Bowl can contact Dr. Pritchard at [email protected]. 

Episcopal Math Champion Competes at Nationals

The Episcopal MATHCOUNTS team has much to celebrate. Last spring, the team, comprised of Nate McLean, Meg Kantrow, James Gawronski and Eli Gray Bennett, won the Louisiana State MATHCOUNTS championship. In addition, competitor Nate McLean was the state individual champion, placing first out of 97 competitors and earning a spot at the National MATHCOUNTS Competition in Orlando, Florida. Episcopal MATHCOUNTS Coach James Moroney was named the Louisiana team coach and joined Nate and the other Bayou State students.

The top 224 competitors in the country competed individually and as teams in the national MATHCOUNTS written competition. Afterward, the top 12 students competed to determine the national winner. In addition to solving challenging math problems, students had the opportunity to visit Disney Springs and participate in a MATHCOUNTS-only movie screening.

Join us in congratulating Nate, Coach Moroney and all of the Episcopal MATHCOUNTS competitors. What a great season!

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2024-2025 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.