March 11, 2009
DSBN Students take Curtain Call at District Drama Festival
After the final curtain fell on the 2009 Niagara District Sears Drama Festival, three student productions from DSBN schools were asked for an encore performance, during April’s regional competitions in Brantford. Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School (RCBHS), St. Catharines Collegiate and Grimsby Secondary School (GSS) all received outstanding production awards and invitations to the next stage of the competition.
This was the first year the Festival was held at Welland Centennial. DSBN Arts Consultant Gerda Klassen said the school was the ideal choice for this year’s display of dramatic excellence. “Everyone appreciated the new space, the technical support, and the camaraderie,” she said.
Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School was honoured with the Peltoma Award for most outstanding production at the Festival. By the time students finished their retelling of Euripides’ classic “The Trojan Women”, the audience and adjudicator were similarly wowed by students’ remarkable costumes and performance. This is the third year in a row that students at RCBHS have taken home the Peltoma. “This is an amazing accomplishment and we are certainly proud of our cast, crew and everyone who contributed to this production’s success,” said Lou Vescio, Principal.
Students at St. Catharines Collegiate earned an invite to the Regional Festival with their production of “Pianoman”, a touching story about a man living with autism who has an amazing musical talent. The play is an original production that was penned by staff at the school and was also recognized as the Best Canadian Play. “We are also very proud of our staff and students who have developed a production that is entertaining and contains an important message about autism awareness. Based on this play, the Carousel Players have chosen to partner with our school on a grant they were just awarded,” said Tracy Sacco, Principal.
Grimsby Secondary School is taking another trip to the Regional Festival on the strength of students’ work on “The Skriker”. The play carries a strong environmental message, as the Skriker, a creature of mythological lore, returns to the modern world to warn of impending disaster. Head of GSS’ Drama Department Javier Soyka said he was impressed by the “number of students who wouldn’t normally enjoy theatre that came forward, wanting to talk about the play and share their comments and reactions.”
The Regional Festival will take place in Brantford, April 20-24. Two productions at the Regional Festival will be invited to perform their plays at the Ontario Showcase happening in Kingston, May 13-16. This event is noncompetitive; however, a number of awards will be given at the discretion of the adjudicator. There are prizes for writing and technical skill, as well as scholarships and bursaries awarded to help recipients pursue careers in performing arts.
“From the opening curtain to the final bow, audiences were captivated by these wonderful plays,” said Klassen. “Students and staff have put months of hard work into building sets, memorizing lines and rehearsing. They should all be commended for their careful preparation and professional performances.”
Below is a full list of DSBN schools and students that took home awards from the Niagara District Sears Drama Festival held at Welland Centennial, from March 2 - 6.
Niagara District Sears Drama Festival Awards
Best Overall Production – Peltoma Award
Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School
Sears Outstanding Productions
The Trojan Women, Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School
The Skriker - Grimsby Secondary School
Pianoman, St. Catharines Collegiate
Niagara District Awards:
Best Stage Management
Scott Winger, Fort Erie Secondary School
Best Cast Spirit – Good Egg Award
Welland Centennial Secondary School
Best Crew Excellence
Grimsby Secondary School
Best New Play
Stuck, South Lincoln High School
Best Canadian Play
Pianoman, St. Catharines Collegiate
Best Student Directed Play
Stages, Erin Turgeon, Welland Centennial Secondary School
Best Visual Production
Grimsby Secondary School
Most Promising Student – Shaw Festival Award
Jessica Lee Fraser, St. Catharines Collegiate
Sears Awards of Excellence:
Finest Comedic Performance
Marshall Price, South Lincoln High School
Top Musical Ensemble & Original Music
Fort Erie Secondary School
Best Ensemble Strength
Welland Centennial Secondary School
Most Powerful Physical Choice
Grimsby Secondary School
Avid Pursuer of Excellence
Lindsey Middleton, Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School
Excellent Focus in a Small Monologue
Lee Stewart, Governor Simcoe Secondary School
Sears District Awards of Distinctive Merit:
Courageous Subject Matter
The Pursuit of Perfection, Stamford Collegiate
Best Clown Ensemble
Fort Erie Secondary School
Top Clown
Drew Belanger, Fort Erie Secondary School
Best Costume and Prop Design
Jade-Dawn L’Ecuyer-Prytula, Grimsby Secondary School
Strongest Straight Man Performance
Rachel Moses, Fort Erie Secondary School
Most Memorable Moment
Robert Colonico, Welland Centennial Secondary School
Best Portrayal of a Minor Role
Ed Dimartino, Stamford Collegiate
Most on the Ball Technical Operators and Running Crew
South Lincoln High School
Best Performance with Externals
Derek Ewert, St. Catharines Collegiate
Sears District Adjudicator Awards:
Most Courageous Moment
Kendra Napier, Stamford Collegiate