Several days after coming up short of a state title in the West Virginia State Thespian Festival at the Cultural Center in Charleston, a pair of Bridgeport High School students found out earlier this week they had captured a title. And, it was no act.

 

Thanks to the concerns of Jason Young, the Theatre Artist for the Bridgeport High School Theatre, a technicality that cost Maggie Ludwig and Brooke Cottrill a superior ranking and a chance at a state title was erased. Now, the pair will be heading to the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska the last week of June through July 1 along with classmate Kody Mullins who took a title during the competition.

After the disappointment of coming up short in the Superior Duet Musical Theatre portion of the competition and as they were ready to depart, the scorecards from the judges came in. What the girls found, as well as Young and BHS Thespian Troupe 7549 head Jared St. Martin Brown, were that the girls did in receive a superior ranking.

 

“Superior was circled on our cards from the judges, but then crossed out,” said Ludwig. “There were comments on the students costuming.”

 

Before getting to the problem, one must understand the performance. Ludwig and Cottrill sang "Who Will Love Me as I Am" from SideShow. The duo was playing the part of Daisy and Violet Hilton, Siamese twins who are united at the hip.  For costumes, they chose to wear similar Old Navy dresses lime green in color. They also each put a black sweater over the dress. 

 

The day before competition, Brown reminded all students to check the rules regarding costumes. The girls both believed they had checked the rules to the point where they were comfortable.

 

“The rule is that the dresses connect them without costuming them, since they weren't attached to each other as a costume for that show (as Siamese twins would be). They also felt that sinceSideShow is set in the 1920s, the dresses, which have a very modern summer look to them, did not establish a time period,” said Young. “And, in addition to that, they felt that the color palette (lime green) was not indicative at all to the color palette of a depression-era traveling carnival.” 

 

Even though Young had been assured by the students their outfits met the standards, he opted to review the rules. What he said he found were not only confusing standards, but contradictory ones. With that in mind, Ludwig and Cottrill went to an area designated as the information table where questions are to be answered of any performer. Their question focused on the confusion in the rulebook.

 

“No one at the table was able to give them a definitive answer on the issue; also, no one offered to find them a definitive answer to their questions,” Young said. “So, being high school students, they trusted their guts and decided to perform in the clothing that they had rehearsed in as opposed to wearing something that they had not prepared in.”

 

That decision, at least initially, cost them. And if not for the actions of Young and an email to the state director – all 2,283 words of it – apparently hit a chord with Martha Louden. In her response letter to Young the key part reads “… I do understand your description of their attire as not period to the show. Because of this and the other information you gave me about comments on their score sheets, I will make the executive decision to allow these two to go on to Lincoln and will report their scores as Superior for that purpose.”

 

Just like that, Bridgeport went from one state champion to three. And the pair was elated.

 

“When we first heard we didn’t quality I had mixed feelings, but I was relieved because I really thought we had a good performance. I really thought we were good enough for a superior ranking,” said Cottrill. “ … Then we got the news and we were freaking out and jumping up and down hugging each other. We were like little kids.”

 

Ludwig said she went from being upset to excited in a matter of seconds. Like her teammate, she couldn’t contain herself when she found out the news.

 

“Finding out we didn’t qualify was the most disappointing thing ever because of knowing we were good enough to go, but simply what we were wearing had eliminated us. It was so disappointing,” Ludwig said. “When I found out I was there with Brooke, (Journalism teacher) Mrs. (Alice) Rowe and Mr. Brown. I was so happy and I couldn’t wait to tell all my friends.”

 

Now, the pair will have some time to savor the moment. Then, they’ll have to get ready for the international competition.

 

“We’re both taking this seriously and we’re likely going to keep our performance very similar, but change some things from the other comments made by the judges,” said Cottrill, who unlike her partner, is a state champion for the first time in the competition. “We’re going to work on the things we need to work on and just try to improve.”