It’s safe to say the State College Area High School Thespians stole the show at the tenth annual Isaac Awards — a theater competition that attracts students from 14 area school districts across our region.
The State College students took home a host of top honors including three first place awards and four runner-up awards for their work in the production of “Curtains,” a musical comedy that hit the stage in April.
Senior Kaitlyn Warner won Best Actress in a Leading Role and senior Sean Toso won Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Senior Saidie Spivey was runner up for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and junior Cole Harris landed the runner up award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
“It’s a huge deal,” says Warner. “The Issacs are something you look forward to when you’re doing theater in high school and it’s like a dream come true.”
For the three award winning seniors, this was their last big theater performance as they take their talents to college after graduation.
“It was really cool to win such an award,” says Toso. “We put in so much work and preparation and it’s nice to be rewarded.”
Jill Campbell, director of the State College Area High School Thespians, is ecstatic about her students’ performances.
“Well mostly, I’m just very excited for them because of all the hard work they put in,” says Campbell. “The biggest thrill was listening them give their acceptance speeches because they were so gracious and so wonderful about their work and what they did and the people that helped the along the way.”
“Curtains” also won a runner-up award for Best Production.
“It’s like a really big musical,” says Harris. “Kind of like a classic Broadway style writing,”
And just like any Broadway show, “Curtains” featured musical and dance performances. In fact, a musical piece “Show People” won the Best Musical award and “Tough Act to Follow” was given the runner-up award for Best Featured Dance.
The theater group is preparing for its last show, “The Thespian Cabaret”, and as this year comes to an end Campbell describes the group with four perfect words, “Talented, creative, energetic and fun.”
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