Winners from Past Competitions

The hallmark of NSAL is its National Awards Competition which is held each year in one of the following categories: dance, drama, music (instrument), and musical theater. Participants in the National Awards Competition compete at the local chapter level for a series of monetary awards. First-place winners of the local chapter competitions are sent to the NSAL National Competition which is held each spring during the Society’s annual meeting. Participants in the National Competition compete for a first place award of $15,000 or more, and a series of other awards that can total another $30,000 or more.

Alumni Testimonials

2024 National Competition in Musical Theatre

First Place : ALBERT STERNER is an actor from Libertyville, Illinois who recently graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University. He is honored to represent the Illinois Chapter at the NSAL National level. Recent credits include Maine State Music Theatre (9 to 5 [Ensemble]/ Titanic [Barret U/S]); Music Theatre Wichita (Kinky Boots [Angel/Charlie U/S], 42nd Street [Ensemble], Wizard of Oz [Ensemble]). Feel free to visit his website https://AlbertPSterner.com if you want to get to know him more! Shout out to his parents for their incredible support as he starts his professional career.

Second Place : CHRISTIAN CLAUSNITZER is a graduating Senior Musical Theatre major at West Virginia University. He recently won the Ohio River Valley Chapter competition and is so excited to be given the opportunity to perform here at nationals. Christian has performed at various regional theatres across the country and plans on moving to New York City as soon as he graduates to continue his dream of a successful acting career. He wants to thank his friends and family for their constant love and support. You can follow Christian on IG and TikTok @christian.clausnitzer. You can also look him up at his Website: christianclausnitzer.com

Third Place : PARNASSUS FUNK (she/her) is the St. Louis representative, and is thrilled and honored to be competing! She will begin her senior year at the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University in the fall, where she is pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre. Born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, Parnassus is a loyal Midwesterner and loves all things art. In her free time, she loves reading, being with friends and family, and hunting down the best cup of coffee in the St. Louis area. Special thanks to all the National Chapters for making this happen!!

Fourth Place : ALLISON DORSEY is a current sophomore musical theatre major at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama, and is thrilled to be representing the Pittsburgh Chapter of the NSAL Musical
Theatre competition. She has so much gratitude f — Fourth Place : ALLISON DORSEY is a current sophomore musical theatre major at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama, and is thrilled to be representing the Pittsburgh Chapter of the NSAL Musical Theatre competition. She has so much gratitude for her friends, family, and professors that got her here, and is so happy to spend the weekend doing what she loves with good people around her.

Fifth Place : JOSÉ ANDRÉS URIBE GARZA, proudly Mexican, is thrilled and proud to represent Arizona at the national convention of NSAL. He is in his 4th and final semester at Mesa Community College as a music theatre major, where he played Lord Evelyn Oakley in Anything Goes, the Minstrel in Something Rotten, and was in the ensemble of The Addams Family. In February José won 1st place in the Music Theater Initiative at the Region 8 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. He will compete in the national KCACTF festival in April. He is thankful to his family, friends, and teachers who have helped him follow his dreams, and looks forward to performing on Broadway in the future.

Honorable Mention : RACHEL OPPMAN Representing the Birmingham Chapter in the 2024 Musical Theatre National Competition RACHEL IS a senior at Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro, TN. Rachel’s passion is theatre; she has been performing since age seven (Zuzu Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life) and just closed her 27th production in which she was Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Other favorite roles include Little Red in Into the Woods, Little Sally in Urinetown the Musical, and Alyssa Greene in The Prom. Last year, she was a national semi-finalist (top 15) in the National Association of Teachers of Singers vocal competition. She has earned All-State recognition in musical theatre, acting, and technical theatre annually since 2020.

2023 National Competition in Drama

First Place : MALIK JAMES, NEW YORK CHAPTER -- Malik James is a rising fourth-year actor at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. He is a Texas native who holds a BFA in Acting with a minor in Mass Communications from Texas State University. Some of his credits include Choir Boy (AJ), The Crucible (John Proctor) and The Harvest (Chuck). He is extremely grateful to his family, friends and loved ones for their unwavering support. He hopes that in the creation of his art he can beget more art and creativity in men of color, like himself.

Second Place : DYLAN CHACE LEE, HAWAII CHAPTER -- Dylan Chace Lee was born and raised in Wai’anae on the island of O’ahu. After graduating from the University of Hawai’i: Mãnoa, Dylan represented the state of Hawai’i at the National Society of Arts and Letters competition in Washington, D.C. (2019). In the fall of 2019, Dylan was cast in Au’a ‘la: Holding On, a full-length theatre performance done entirely in the native Hawaiian language. The production was then given an opportunity to tour New York City, where it completed a sold-out two-show run at the Theatre for the New City. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dylan found himself working in network television with Magnum P.I. and NCIS: HI as a production assistant. He has taken classes with Sally Jackson with a focus in Stella Adler’s method, classes with Gregg Berger and Charlie Adler with a focus in character acting, and classes with David Sobolov with a focus in Meisner technique. ‘A’ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka hãlau ho’okahi- The knowledge is not finished in the first classroom.

Third Place: ANDREW LEBUHN, PITTSBURGH CHAPTER -- Andy LeBuhn was born and raised in the Bay Area with his two sisters, a bearded dragon, two rats, three hermit crabs, a cat and a couple dogs. Whether he was pulling rabbits out of hats (literally) or crashing his older sister’s tap dancing class, Andy has always been drawn to art and performance. He spent his early years learning and performing around his community at theaters such as Berkeley Rep, A.C.T, and Magic Theatre. After graduating high school, Andy became a preschool teacher, chef, and busboy while also attending College of Marin where he received his Associates Degree in Drama. After two years of community college and 40-hour work weeks, Andy was accepted into the Carnegie Mellon Acting Class of 2023. While at CMU, Andy learned to take risks, have fun, and develop a unique artist identity. He is thrilled and honored to be a part of the NSAL Drama Competition Nationals.

Fourth Place : A’KEYAH WILLIAMS,
FLORIDA CHAPTER -- A 28-year-old native of Boynton Beach, FL, A’Keyah Williams is known for her leading role as Mya in the feature film Me Little Me, directed by Elizabeth Ayiku. Me Little Me received its World Premi — Fourth Place : A’KEYAH WILLIAMS, FLORIDA CHAPTER -- A 28-year-old native of Boynton Beach, FL, A’Keyah Williams is known for her leading role as Mya in the feature film Me Little Me, directed by Elizabeth Ayiku. Me Little Me received its World Premiere at SXSW in 2022, won Best Narrative Feature at Urbanworld Film Festival 2022, and screened at multiple festivals across the US. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Fordham University in 2017. While there, A’Keyah worked with directors such as: Geoffrey Owens (The Luck of the Irish), Elena Araoz (Force Continuum), Dawn Saito (Phoebe in Winter), and Seret Scott (Bishop). The NSAL has allowed her to remember a version of herself that felt completely free to dream, to leap, and to achieve! She is devoting her career to creating art and telling stories that uplift communities so they may become their own heroes. A’Keyah’s ultimate career goal: restoring humanity within us all.

Fifth Place : JAYLON MUCHISON, ILLINOIS CHAPTER -- Jaylon Muchison is a rising 4th-year Acting major at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In Illinois Theatre, he performed in six productions: The Heist as Hawk, narrated in the stage reading of Redline, Sweat as Chris, the stage reading of A Darkling at Nightfall as Abbas Samar, Urinetown as Caldwell B. Cladwell, and The Royale as Jay. With the Illinois Shakespeare Festival he played Lord, Sexton, Messenger in Much Ado About Nothing, Duke of Burgundy and Soldier in King Lear, Tour Guide, Friar, and Don John in Much Ado About Quite A Lot. Jaylon also plays Fish in The American Players Theatre’s The Royale. In a short film, he worked on Subliminal as Male Protagonist. Good theatre moves the soul, and theatre from the soul is what Jaylon strives to create.

Sixth Place: ALYCYA THOMAS, ARKANSAS CHAPTER -- Alycya Thomas, born and raised in Jonesboro, Arkansas, is a graduate of Southern Arkansas University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. Alycya is an actress and a professional stage manager. A few of her credits as an actress are Dr.Fine/Dr.Madden in Next to Normal and Squeak in The Color Purple. As a stage manager she has worked in major American Repertory theatres, on- and off-Broadway, as well as local community theatres. Credits include: Disney’s Lion King (Minskoff Theatre), The Waves (New York Stage & Film), Eugene Onegin (Santa Fe Opera), Much Ado about Nothing (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre). Alycya is thrilled to showcase her talent and is truly thankful for the opportunity!