High School Plays and Musicals Honored at DCC Theater Awards

Release date: May 22, 2008

Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – The Dutchess Community College Performing Arts Program’s High School Theater Awards drew approximately 100 students and faculty who accepted their awards in the James and Betty Hall Theatre on May 20.

High school faculty, students, and their families watched a montage of video clips featuring each school’s performance. Winners gave acceptance speeches after receiving their individually inscribed “Dutchie” trophies and $25 awards, or honorable mention certificates.

The awards were created to honor excellence in local high school theater productions. Contest judges were DCC Performing Arts Program Chair Joe Cosentino, Professor of Theater Steve Press, Adjunct Instructor of Theater Fred Wolinsky, and Director of Scheduling Susan Moore.

High schools that submitted entries and took home awards were Dover, Millbrook, Kingston, Wallkill, Roosevelt, New Paltz, Spackenkill, John Jay, Newburgh Free Academy, and Coleman Catholic High School.

The awards are sponsored by a DCC mini-grant.

For more information, contact DCC Performing Arts Program Chair Joe Cosentino at cosentin@sunydutchess.edu.

This year’s winners are Best Play:  “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Newburgh Free Academy; Best Director of a Play:  Terry Sandler, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Newburgh Free Academy; Best Set/Lighting/Costume Design of a Play:  Seth Couch, Shawn Mahoney and Amy Brown, “A Christmas Carol,” Spackenkill High School; Best Actor in a Play:  Ian Weiss as Atticus, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Newburgh Free Academy; Best Actress in a Play:  Lexxie Lawlor as Scout in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Newburgh Free Academy; Best Featured Actor in a Play:  Cavan Healy as Solomon in “45 Seconds from Broadway,” New Paltz High School; Best Featured Actress in a Play:  Kaileigh Oscarczuk as Cindy, “45 Seconds from Broadway,” New Paltz High School; Best Male Cameo in a Play:  Kyle Gallagher as Collector, “A Christmas Carol,” Spackenkill High School; Best Female Cameo in a Play:  Kerry Purnell as Belle, “A Christmas Carol,” Spackenkill High School; Best Musical (Tie): “Beauty and the Beast,” John Jay High School & “Les Mis,” Coleman Catholic High School; Best Director of a Musical: Anthony Scarrone for “Beauty and the Beast,” John Jay High School; Best Musical Direction: David Winograd and Lise Hopson for “Les Mis,” Coleman Catholic High School; Best Set/Lighting Design for a Musical: Jess Malone, Ben Travis and Preston Briggs for “Beauty and the Beast,” John Jay High School; Best Choreography: Mandy Clifford for “42nd Street,” Newburgh Free Academy; Best Costumes for a Musical: Bernadette Brewer and Sharon McCormick for “Cinderella,” Wallkill Senior High School; Best Actor in a Musical: Matt Farcher as Valjean in “Les Mis,” Coleman Catholic High School; Best Actress in a Musical: Dani Atkinson as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” John Jay High School; Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Phil Blechman as Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast,” John Jay High School; Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Veronica Hopson as Eponine in “Les Mis,” Coleman Catholic High School; Best Male Cameo in a Musical: Graeme McEneany as LeFou in “Beauty and the Beast,” John Jay High School; Best Female Cameo in a Musical: Alyssa Zahradnik as Miss Flannery in “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” Roosevelt High School; Best Chorus: “Beauty and the Beast,” John Jay High School.

Honorable Mentions are listed by production and school, and are as follows:

“Jekyll & Hyde,” Dover High School:

Male Cameo in a Musical: Matt Hajek as Bishop.

“How to Succeed in Business,” Kingston High School:

Actor in a Musical: Wendell Scherer as Finch

Featured Actress in a Musical: Nicole Wood as Smitty

“Grease,” Millbrook High School:

Featured Actress in a Musical: Emma Dunlap as Marty

Female Cameo in a Musical: Tess Dunlap as Patty

“Cinderella,” Wallkill Senior High School:

Set/Lighting Design for a Musical: Bonnie McCormick and Tom Makur

Female Cameo in a Musical: Chelsea Bosco as Portia

“Thoroughly Modern Millie,” Roosevelt High School:

Costumes for a Musical: Cynthia Petrovits and Wendy Gross

Actor in a Musical: Willie Sleight as Jimmy

Actress in a Musical: Amy Van Norstrand as Millie

Featured Actor in a Musical: Ryan Guilaran as Ching Ho

“Guys and Dolls,” New Paltz High School:

Actress in a Musical: Esme Hyman as Adelaide

“Footloose,” Spackenkill High School:

Featured Actress in a Musical: Kerry Purnell as Rusty

“42nd Street,” Newburgh Free Academy:

Actress in a Musical: Tamara Stevens as Dorothy

Musical Chorus: Chorus of “42nd Street”

“Les Miserables,” Coleman Catholic High School:

Director of a Musical: Lise Hopson

Set/Lighting Design for a Musical: Pattie Balcanoff and Dave Bowers

Featured Actor in a Musical: Daniel Farcher as Enjolras

Featured Actress in a Musical: Michaela Sweeney as Cosette

Musical Chorus: Chorus of “Les Mis”

“Beauty and the Beast,” John Jay High School:

Musical Direction: Ryan Banda and Bonnie King

Choreography: Luis Perez

Actor in a Musical: Jake Teed as Beast

Featured Actor in a Musical: Josh Kaplan as Lumiere

Female Cameo: Amanda Spinella as Babette

Founded in 1957, Dutchess Community College is a two-year community college celebrating its 50th anniversary of excellence and service to the residents of Dutchess County. It is part of the State University of New York and is one of 30 community colleges in the state system. The College offers a wide variety of associate degree programs, as well as career programs in major technical, human service and business areas. The College also offers non-credit courses through its Office of Community Services to meet the continuing education needs of civic, cultural, business and professional groups and the community at large. The main campus is at 53 Pendell Road in Poughkeepsie, while the Dutchess South extension site is in Hollowbrook Park, Building #4 at 31 Marshall Road in Wappingers Falls.

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