Those who believe that theater is dead or dying would have seen a vibrantly healthy future of the art form Tuesday night when hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of teenagers and their families and friends cheered and screamed their enthusiasm at the South Florida Cappies Gala.
The program encouraging theater and theater criticism among students at 19 high schools presented scores of competitive awards at its 20th annual ceremony at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
Throughout the evening, students dressed as if they were going to the prom changed into stage costumes to perform excepts from musicals and plays mounted in the past school year despite the threat of Covid.
Other than the awards to critics, 95 student critics who wrote 593 reviews then nominated and later voted to determine the winners. The articles deemed by educators to have been the best for each production were published on this website. To read some, click here.
The national program was estimated to have involved 1,000 local students, plus volunteers among parents, educators and others.
The local chapter was founded by Lori Sessions, a J.P. Taravella High School arts educator, in the summer of 2002.
The winners this year were:
——Play / All My Sons / The Benjamin School
——Musical / Something Rotten / Marjory Stoneman Douglas
——Senior Critic / Emma Sugarman / J.P. Taravella High
——Junior Critic / Abigail Alder / North Broward Preparatory
——Sophomore Critic / Sarah Abisror / Cooper City High
——Freshman Critic / Makayla Whelchel / North Broward Preparatory
——Critic Team / J.P. Taravella High / Melinda Clarke Berks Spotlight Scholarship / Fallon Collins, Sasha Geisser, Lauren Kim, Sarah Wyner
——Ensemble in a Play / The Neighbors / All My Sons / The Benjamin School
——Ensemble in a Musical / The Burger Palace Boys / Grease /West Boca Raton
——Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Play / Mia Martinez / Steel Magnolias Archbishop McCarthy High
——Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Play / Jakob Kroll / All My Sons / The Benjamin School
——Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Musical / Hannah Bauer / Catch Me If You Can / North Broward Preparatory
——Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Musical / Anthony Langone / Into the Woods / NSU University School
——Female Dancer / Elliana Herr / Grease / West Boca Raton
——Male Dancer / Trey’lon Salley / Spongebob the Musical / Dillard Center for the Arts
——Female Vocalist / Sasha Geisser / Catch Me if You Can / North Broward Preparatory
——Male Vocalist / Logan LaPierre / Something Rotten / Marjory Stoneman Douglas
——Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Play / Isabella Ruiz / Steel Magnolias / Archbishop McCarthy High
——Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Play / Xan Blount / All My Sons / The Benjamin School
——Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Musical / Paisley Kinkade / Grease / West Boca Raton High
——Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Musical / Cameron Wasteney / The Addams Family / Saint Thomas Aquinas High
——Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Play / Bella Nanavichit / Steel Magnolias / Archbishop McCarthy High
——Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Play / Caden Quinn / All My Sons / The Benjamin School
——Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Musical / Diane Li / Les Misérables School Edition / American Heritage School
——Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Musical / Ethan Shavelson / Les Misérables School Edition / American Heritage School
——Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Play / Erica Gouldthorpe / Steel Magnolias / Archbishop McCarthy High
——Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Play / Jermaine Jenkins / The Jungle Book / South Plantation High
——Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Musical / Fallon Collins / Xanadu / J.P. Taravella High
——Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Musical / Miles Levitan / Les Misérables School Edition / American Heritage
——Sound / Laura Haurie, Francesca Dumary, Erin Richter / Xanadu / J.P. Taravella High
——Props / Ella Martinez / Grease / West Boca Raton High
——-Lighting / MSD Lighting Crew / Something Rotten / Marjory Stoneman Douglas High
——Costumes / Kelsey Bonner, Rachel Frenchmen / Grease / West Boca Raton
——Sets / Colin McLean / Something Rotten / Marjory Stoneman Douglas
——Special Effects and or Technology/ Nico Wellons / Into the Woods / NSU University School
——Hair and Make-up / Morgan Seeley, Mariel Ricks / Grease / West Boca Raton High
——Orchestra / American Heritage Orchestra/ Les Misérables School Edition / American Heritage School
——Choreography / Sarah Wyner / Something Rotten / Marjory Stoneman Douglas
——Creativity / Adriana Peña, Music Director / Something Rotten / Marjory Stoneman Douglas
——Stage Management and Crew / Hannah Grinbank, Reese Garrity, Deanna O’Connell, Gabrielle Hoffman / Something Rotten / Marjory Stoneman Douglas
——Song / One Day More / Les Misérables School Edition / American Heritage School