Bloomfield teacher wins the Jo Ann Fox Award of excellence

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield High School theater arts teacher Brandon Doemling has been awarded the Jo Ann Fox Award by the theater arts department at Montclair State University. This is an award that a middle- or high-school teacher can win only once. It represents their achievement in building a dynamic theater arts program.

Doemling, in an interview earlier this week in his BHS classroom, said if there is a reason for his success, it is that he tries to be honest and frank with his students and as inclusive as possible.

“There’s no pecking order,” he said. “If an underclassman auditions and they’re better, they’ll get the part before an upperclassman.”

He also tells everyone involved that a production does not work unless everyone is doing their best.

The award was named after a Mahwah High School teacher who died in 2009 following a rehearsal at her school. Dubbed “the Foxy,” it has been given out the last four years.

According to Robin Irwin, the producing director of outreach and special events at MSU, the award is open to any NJ middle school or high school teacher who submits a video recording of a play they have directed in a given calendar year. A musical is not eligible. The play submitted by Doemling was the fall production of “A Servant of Two Masters.” According to Irwin, the Jo Ann Fox Award is only for the director of a play because the Paper Mill Playhouse has an awards program that recognizes only musicals.

Nominees, she said in an email, are recommended by their principals or supervisors. Support letters from students and parents are also considered. Voting is done by a faculty committee and awards night staff. Although “The Servant of Two Masters” was nominated in five categories, Doemling said it did not win in any category. For his award, the overall quality of the BHS theater program was judged.

Like the Paper Mill Playhouse high school musical achievement event, “The Rising Star Awards,” students of nominated productions at the MSU Theater Night Awards get to perform.

According to Irwin, the MSU event offers a broad range of classic 20th century dramas and comedies “as well as Shakespeare and other plays of heightened language, like Moliere.” She said that any school nominated in the best drama, comedy, classical, or works of innovation category are eligible to perform a 90-second scene from their play.

Although Doemling said he does not direct anything to win an award, it is in the back of his head.

“I think, if I want to submit, it has to be better,” he said.
In his classroom, with a photograph of the Foxy on his smartphone — the actual award is in a locked case in the lobby of the auditorium — he said the award recognizes the BHS theater program.

“In most schools, there’s usually one drama teacher,” he said. “When you get an award, it tells you that you’re on the right track.”

He said he understood some funding for the high school theater program will be budgeted by the Bloomfield Board of Education. This is good news for him.
“This award tells me we’re on a roll,” he said. “But the talent has to come out.”

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