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DSBN Schools Take Big Curtain Call at Drama Festival

Mar 05, 2015

 

DSBN Schools Take Big Curtain Call at Drama Festival 

 

The 2015 Niagara Regional Sears Drama Festival was a huge success for the District School Board of Niagara. DSBN schools earned 32 of 38 available honours at the festival.  As part of the 69th annual Sears Drama Festival, it continued a long history of showcasing and celebrating student theatre in Ontario.  

 Jessica Carmichael, recently appointed Artistic Director of Carousel Players, adjudicated the performances.  As a newcomer to the Niagara Region, “she was gracious in offering her expertise and guidance to the casts and crews of each show in the festival,” said Jerome Black, DSBN Arts Consultant.  

  At an awards banquet on Saturday, February 28, 38 awards and honours in various categories were presented.  An impressive 32 of these honours were awarded to DSBN productions, including all three recipients of the Peltoma Award for Outstanding Productions.  These three schools will move on to the Regional Competition in Windsor, taking place the week of April 7 - 11.  

A hearty congratulations go out to the following DSBN students, staff and schools: 

 

Peltoma Award for Sears Outstanding Production 

 

  • Antigone, Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School 

 

  • Invisible Wounds, Stamford Collegiate Secondary School 

 

  • We All Fall Down, St. Catharines Collegiate Secondary School 

 

Best Canadian Play 

 

  • We All Fall Down by Ms. Brenna McAllister, St. Catharines Collegiate Secondary School 


Brock University Award for Best Experimental Play 

 

  • The Ocean Mother, collectively created by Mr. Javier Soyka and Grimsby Secondary School’s students 

 

The Shaw Festival Award for Most Promising Student 

 

  • Sarah MacDonald for her work in directing, sound, costume, and set for Antigone, Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School 

 

 

Mac Dodge Award for Best Student-Directed Play 

 

  • Amelia Trimble for her direction of Censorbleep, Beamsville District Secondary School 

 

The Novelty Fabrics Award for Best Visuals  

 

  • The Ocean Mother, collectively created by Mr. Javier Soyka and Grimsby Secondary School’s students 

 

 

The OSSTF Award for Best Play: Social Issues 

 

  • Invisible Wounds, collectively created by Stamford Collegiate’s Drama Students 

 

 

The Rita Steeve Award for Best Stage Crew 

 

  • Hamlet, Zombie Killer of Denmark, Welland Centennial Secondary School 

 

 

The Joseph Veyda Award, the Carousel Players Award, and the Sears Stage Management Award 

 

  • Juliette Nedoborski, stage manager of The Ocean Mother, Grimsby Secondary School 

 

 

The Good Egg Award for Cast Congeniality and Enthusiasm 

 

  • A.N. Myer Secondary School for Showdown at Sand Valley 

 

 

Sears Awards of Excellence: 

 

  • Outstanding Dramatic Acting: 

 

    • Fox Chamberland as Dodge in We All Fall Down, St. Catharines Collegiate Secondary School 

 

    • Zoe Perchaluk as Ismene/Tiresias/Chorus in Antigone, Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School 

 

  • Outstanding Comedic Acting: 

 

    • Sebastian Voth as Laertes in Hamlet, Zombie Killer of Denmark, Welland Centennial Secondary School 

 

    • Lily Ayres as Queen Gertrude in Hamlet, Zombie Killer of Denmark, Welland Centennial Secondary School 

 

  • Outstanding Innovation in Storytelling Ensemble Work 

 

    • Invisible Wounds, Stamford Collegiate Secondary School 

 

  • Outstanding Innovation in Contemporary Methods with Chorus Work 

 

    • Antigone, Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School 

 

  • Outstanding Confessional Relationship with the Audience 

 

    • The Most Massive Woman Wins, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School 

 

  • Outstanding Inspired Dramaturgy from an Original Source 

 

    • Invisible Wounds, Stamford Collegiate Secondary School 

 

  • Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design 

 

    • Amanda Naylor for The Long Goodbye, Laura Secord Secondary School 

 

  • Outstanding Achievement in Make-Up Design 

 

    • Kyla Della Gatta for Hamlet, Zombie Killer of Denmark, Welland Centennial Secondary School 

 

  • Outstanding Achievement in Original Score 

 

    • Sophie Chouinard for The Ocean Mother, Grimsby Secondary School 

 

 

Sears Ontario District Awards of Merit 

 

  • Notable Dramatic Acting 

 

    • James Fraser as Sammy in We All Fall Down, St. Catharines Collegiate Secondary School 

 

    • The Ensemble of Invisible Wounds, Stamford Collegiate Secondary School 

 

  • Notable Comedic Acting 

 

    • Taylor Peters as Ophelia in Hamlet, Zombie Killer of Denmark, Welland Centennial Secondary School 

 

  • Notable Classical Text Work 

 

    • Austin Wheeler as Hamlet in Hamlet, Zombie Killer of Denmark, Welland Centennial Secondary School 

 

  • Notable Aged Character Work: 

 

    • Caitlyn Haynes as Mrs. McAllister in Showdown at Sand Valley, A. N. Myer Secondary School 

 

  • Notable Sustained Character Work 

 

    • Karlie Haining as Tandy in Censorbleep, Beamsville District Secondary School 

 

  • Notable Achievement in Chorus Work 

 

    • The Most Massive Woman Wins, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School 

 

  • Notable Achievement in Collaboration 

 

    • Austin Wheeler and Tim Campbell for Health Class, Welland Centennial Secondary School 

 

  • Notable Achievement in Dramaturgical Research 

 

    • The Long Goodbye, Laura Secord Secondary School