Oak Knoll students stole the spotlight at Première Scène 2026 at the Lycée Français de New York earlier this month, delivering bold, imaginative performances that captivated the festival audience and jury alike.

For the first time in school history, Oak Knoll earned two major awards at the festival, with Mary McEnroe ’29 receiving Best Acting (non-francophone), and the Oak Knoll ensemble taking home the Special Prize of the Jury for overall performance.

Other participating students included:

• Madison Martin ’26
• Anna Chamberlin ’26
• Kristen Shindle ’26
• Alani Bolivar ’27
• Bella Ramirez ’28
• Aria Thiga ’29

The festival, which brought together over 400 students from more than a dozen schools worldwide, featured the theme, “Curiosité,” which students were challenged to embody through original or excerpted French-language performances.

“Our students’ creativity, courage, and curiosity really shone,” said Irina Posso Campana, world languages teacher and Oak Knoll director for the festival. “They embraced the challenge of expressing themselves in French, and the jury clearly recognized their talent and dedication.”

She also thanked members of Joseph Versailles’s Honors French IV class, who wrote the script, inspired by the novel The Little Prince they studied in class, adding an extra layer of student voice and creativity to the performance.

Première Scène’s celebration of French-language fluency aligns perfectly with Oak Knoll’s global learning program, through which students explore languages, participate in cultural exchanges, and engage in global studies, preparing them to connect with communities across the world.

These experiences help them fulfill the school’s mission to inspire students to discover their purpose and “make a significant, positive impact on the world.”

The recognition at this year’s festival underscores the students’ growth, collaboration, and artistic expression. Please join us in congratulating them and Madame Posso for this tremendous accomplishment! Félicitations!