Based on the 1966 novel by Daniel Keyes, Flowers for Algernon was adapted into an award-winning movie in 1968 and came to the stage in 1969 as a play written by David Rogers. The show follows the story of Charlie Gordon; a mentally handicapped man who believes there is kindness in everyone and looks for opportunities to learn more. When Charlie finds his way into a research study centered on increasing intelligence he is excited about the prospect of becoming smarter, but as his intelligence increases Charlie begins to open the wounds of childhood memories and realizes that more intelligence does not bring about the security and happiness that he thought it would. When Charlie faces the possibility that the results of his operation may not be permanent he finds solace in a lab mouse named Algernon and searches for answers in his small companion.

Mitchell Buckley gave a riveting performance as Charlie Gordon. With an excellent sense of timing and stage presence, Buckley brought the complex character to life onstage delivering powerful monologues with great intensity. Buckley also created strong relationships with his scene partners to display Charlie’s thoughts and feelings about each character he was interacting with. As Charlie’s teacher and eventual love interest Alice Kinnian, Madeleine Bloxam showed a true understanding of her character and severed as a good foil to the characters who were more interested in Charlie’s brain than in his feelings.

Brandon Sanchez, Alex Mann, and Julian Sanchez gave outstanding performances as the team of doctors who are in charge of the experiment Charlie participates in. Mann was able to portray the older character Dr. Strauss with ease. Brandon Sanchez had excellent stage presence and both he and Mann were able to display their character’s frustration over the failings of their experiment. Julian Sanchez stood opposite Mann and Sanchez in that his character felt more remorse for Charlie and displayed superb character development as the show progressed. Both Sarah Schweit and Maggie Mitchell gave strong performances as Charlie’s Mother and sister Norma respectively. Schweit and Mitchell played the incredibly complex characters with fantastic dynamics and understanding.

Despite some technical hiccups the show’s technical elements were fitting and progressed throughout the show wonderfully. Lighting set the mood of each scene and the props were all time appropriate for the 1960s where the show was set. Costumes and make-up were also time appropriate and had excellent color schemes for each character. The show had many set transitions and Westfield’s stage crew handled all of them quickly and efficiently. The entire show was underscored with music composed by Alex Mann and Joe Dremiecki and often set the tone for the scenes.

While there are often more questions than answers when it comes to the human mind, Westfield’s show made a powerful statement on the importance of humanity, and through excellent performances the message of acceptance was clearly stated.

by Emily Kelly of Robert E. Lee High School

Photo Gallery

Mitchell Buckley (Charlie Gordon), Brandon Sanchez (Dr. Strauss), Olivia Joseph (Nurse)	Sarah Schweit (Mother), Stephen Cox (Teen-age Charlie), TJ Vinsavich (Father), Mitchell Buckley (Charlie Gordon)
Jake Ehrlich (Frank), Zach Walsh (Joe), Bayleigh Aschenbrenner (Mrs. Donner), Mitchell Buckley (Charlie Gordon), Olivia Witt (Gina)	Mitchell Buckley (Charlie Gordon), Sarah Schweit (Mother)
Mitchell Buckley (Charlie Gordon), Madeleine Bloxam (Alice Kinnian)

Photos by Charlie Gunn

Casts of nominated shows and the performers of nominated songs presented musical numbers as well as scenes from the nominated plays. The entire show will be aired on Cox Cable “Red Apple” Channel 21 beginning the week of July 2 and will continue throughout the summer.

Throughout the year, the Cappies program is driven by hundreds of area high school theater student critics who attend each others’ shows, write reviews, and serve as Cappies awards judges.

The Gala ceremony was marked with excitement and encouragement. There was never a sense of competitiveness or negative reactions as any of the Awards were announced.

Westfield High School received ten awards, including Musical for their production of Crazy For You. McLean High School received five awards, including Play, for A View From the Bridge.

Rising Critic

• Julian Sanchez, Westfield High School

Returning Critic

• Madelyn Paquette, McLean High School

Madelyn Paquette also was awarded the first Washington Post Critic Award.

Graduating Critic

• Joseph Biagini, Westfield High School

Critic Team

• McLean High School

Marketing and Publicity

• Kyle Norfleet, Michelle Slivinski, Jenny Rubin, Caitlyn Herron, South Lakes High School, West Side Story

Sound

• Alex Allen, Lydia Carroll, Lindsay Worthington, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Lighting

• Nikolas Allen, Andrew Elman, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Stage Crew

• Walt Whitman Stage Crew, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Sets

• Walt Whitman Set Crew, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Costumes

• Ana Mendelson, Abby Deatherage, W. T. Woodson HS, Alice in Wonderland

Make-up

• Brianna Weiner, W. T. Woodson HS, Alice in Wonderland

Props

• Rita Fair, Jordyn Stewart, Mount Vernon, Blithe Spirit

Special Effects and or Technology

• Brian Clarkson, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Orchestra

• “Crazy for You” Pit Orchestra, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Choreography

• Colby Dezelick, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Creativity

• Arjun Baxter, Composer, W. T. Woodson HS, Alice in Wonderland

Ensemble in a Play

• The Mechanicals, Robinson Secondary School, Ken Ludwig’s Midsummer/Jersey

Ensemble in a Musical

• Follie Dancers and Cowboys, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Featured Actress

• Kaity Hinojosa, Langley High School, The Crucible

Featured Actor

• Mitchell Buckley, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Female Dancer

• Corinne Holland, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Male Dancer

• Nikko Custodio, South County Secondary School, West Side Story

Female Vocalist

• Ariana Kruszewski, South Lakes High School, West Side Story

Male Vocalist

• Sam Allen, Dominion High School, Pippin

Comic Actress in a Play

• Virginia Coffield, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School, Fools

Comic Actor in a Play

• Kamau Mitchell, HB Woodlawn Secondary Program, The Foreigner

Comic Actress in a Musical

• Alexandra Nicopoulos, Fairfax High School, Sweeney Todd

Comic Actor in a Musical

• Ian Peterson, Stone Bridge High School, Anything Goes

Supporting Actress in a Play

• Mia Amado, Woodbridge Senior High School, The Miracle Worker

Supporting Actor in a Play

• John Downey, Chantilly High School, I Remember Mama

Supporting Actress in a Musical

• Michelle Radcliffe, Heritage High School, Legally Blonde the Musical

Supporting Actor in a Musical

• Joseph Biagini, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Lead Actress in a Play

• Lexie Shoaibi, McLean High School, A View From the Bridge

Lead Actor in a Play

• Damian Leverett, McLean High School, A View From the Bridge

Lead Actress in a Musical

• Sean Pugerude, Paul VI Catholic High School, Hello, Dolly!

Lead Actor in a Musical

• Colby Dezelick, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Song

• Brotherhood of Man, James Madison High School, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Play

• McLean High School, A View From the Bridge

Musical

• Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Crazy for You follows banker Bobby Child, who longs to perform on the New York stage. When he travels to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose a theater, he ends up falling in love with the town as well as the town’s only female, Polly Baker. Bobby finds himself in a web trying save the theater, and his adventure keeps the audience laughing the entire time! The musical was based off of a 1930 Gershwin musical Girl Crazy. The Gershwin book was rewritten by Ken Ludwig in 1992 and won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical has been praised for its classic American music and comedy, and with its fabulously talented singers, dancers, ensemble, and tech crew, Westfield certainly did the show justice!

Westfield’s production was led by the ingenious Colby Dezelick, who played the lead man Bobby Child. Dezelick was an amazing tap dancer, a witty comedian, and a beautiful singer. Not only was he a tremendous showman, but he was also the choreographer for the show and helped to design the elaborate set along with Brandon Sanchez. Another memorable performance was done by Mitchell Buckley, who played Lank Hawkins. He was great as an angry saloon owner and was hilarious when he finally fell head-over-heels for the irresistible Irene Roth, played by Madeleine Bloxam. Bloxam herself was a fantastic singer and dancer in “Naughty Baby.”

The show was full of great ensembles, including the Follies showgirls and the Deadrock cowboys. Though some actors were more convincing than others, the characters created a wonderful collage of talent. The Follies were all very skilled in tap dancing and performed impressive dance numbers in songs like “I Got Rhythm” and “I Can’t be Bothered Now.” One noteworthy performer was Corinne Holland. Besides being an excellent dancer, she was also a priceless actress as the dim-witted and flirty Patsy. The Cowboy Trio, made up of Nick Burroughs, Ben Nelms, and Brandon Sanchez, maintained a resonating harmony as they sang “Bidin’ My Time” (in both English and French) and “The Real American Folk Song.” Together with Bobby, the Follies, and the cowboys, the cast performed “Slap That Bass,” which was arguably the most exciting and entertaining number of the show.

Westfield’s performance of Crazy for You would have been nothing without its stupendous technical aspects. The costumes for the show were jaw-dropping; all of the Follies’ costumes were handmade and included enormous ostrich-feathered headpieces, bouncy tutus, and glittering dresses. Costume designers Bayleigh Aschenbrenner and Zoe Hawryluk spent countless hours on these costumes, and their hard work was evident. The lighting for the show, done by Robert Palack, Ellie Ross, and Ben Nelms, included multiple colors and spotlights that greatly enhanced the performers’ dance numbers and solos. Except for a few cracking microphones, the technical crew was flawless!

Great talent in both the performance and technical factors made for a supreme show. Crazy for You made the audience go crazy for Westfield High School!

by Natalia Kot of Heritage High School

Photo Gallery

Polly (Allie Koenigsberg) and Bobby (Colby Dezelick)	Joey Biagini, Colby Dezelick
Madeleine Bloxam, Brandon Sanchez, Chaz Coffin, Ben Nelms, Nick Burroughs	Follies Girls. Rachel Moser, Ally Geary, Rachel Shirley, Corinne Holland, Maggie Mitchell, Selena Clyne-Galindo, Breana Hobbs, Nicole Vinson
Finale. Maggie Mitchell, Breana Hobbs	Girls Enter Nevada – Rachel Moser, Ally Geary, Rachel Moser, Corinne Holland, Maggie Mitchell, Selena Clyne-Galindo, Nicole Vinson

Photos by Charlie Gunn

Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Tim Rice, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is mostly sung-through because of its lack of dialogue and a ‘megamix’ of diverse music styles from multiple time periods. This musical, in its full format, was recorded in 1974 and opened on Broadway in 1982 with a plethora of major revivals and a 1999 straight-to-video film. The plotline stems from the Hebrew Bible’s Book of Genesis with Joseph’s “coat of many colors,” where Joseph is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and after a few mishaps, becomes the most powerful man in Egypt.

Kevin Clay, who played the part of Joseph, had a harmonious and fluid voice that pulled you on a rollercoaster of glamour, vulnerability, and strength. His maturation through the show was extremely “colorful” and allowed him to be more relatable as the show continued on. Colby Dezelick, who acted as Levi and the Pharaoh, as well as choreographed and tangoed to “Those Canaan Days,” had great stage presence with his comic reactions and timings. His singing and dancing abilities were highlights of the enchanting musical, from there intricacies to gracefulness. The pleasant feelings of the ensembles encouraged many to enjoy and involve themselves in the funky dance numbers and fun singing. The Brothers were especially humorous. Although each had their own separate character, they blended well – as if they were all a real family.

All technical aspects of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat were syncopated to perfection. The light changes were concealed by the action on stage, so they were almost melodic. Each light represented the style of music each song represented and added to the effect of it all. The orchestra seemed very aware of all that was going on onstage which allowed them to keep in rhythm. Costumes were flawless, in both fashioning appropriate styles to each time period and depicting characters attractively. Out of the 655 pieces costumes and accessories, not one was unsuitable, and each was made with utmost craftsmanship. The choreographed pieces, formulated since August of 2010 by Colby Dezelick and Avery Hobbs, were swift and fun pulling the show together as one happy cornucopia of music and theater.

Westfield High School’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was wonderfully enjoyable and at the end, had many saying “Joseph, we’ll never forget you.” The familial feel and effort of the cast and crew represents the real art of all theater’s vigor.

by Shayla Dhingra of Briar Woods High School

Photo Gallery

Kevin Clay	Row 1 (kneeling) Max Ehrlich, Sarah Bowden, Connor Scudder, Corinne Holland, Zoe Tippl, Nick Burroughs Row 2 (standing) Allie Koenigsberg, Jake Erhlich, Breana Hobbs, Ozzy Tirmizi, Trevor Knickerbocker, Maggie Mitchell, Ben Nelms, Madeleine Bloxam Back Row Chaz Coffin, Nicole Vinson, Colby Dezelick, Avery Hobbs, Rachel Shirley, Mitchell Buckley, Adam Thomas, Ally Geary, Max Ehrlich
Allie Koenigsberg, Maggie Mitchell, Rachel Shirley, Sarah Bowden, Avery Hobbs, Zoe Tippl, Colby Dezelick, Kevin Clay, Madeleine Bloxam, Corinne Holland, Breana Hobbs, Ally Geary, Nicole Vinson	Row 1 (bottom) Mitchell Buckley, Colby Dezelick, Chaz Coffin, Adam Thomas Row 2 (top) Ben Nelms, Connor Scudder, Ozzy Tirmizi, Trevor Knickerbocker, Max Ehrlich, Nick Burroughs, Jake Ehrlich
Adam Thomas, Chaz Coffin, Nicole Vinson, Jake Ehrlich, Sunny Vinsavich, Max Ehrlich, Sarah Bowden, Corinne Holland, Colby Dezelick, Mitchell Buckley, Michelle Lerch, Avery Hobbs, Ben Nelms, Ozzy Tirmizi

Photos by Charlie Gunn

Simon’s semi-autobiographical comedy centers around Eugene (Kevin Clay), a fifteen year old who is trying to discover what life is. This coming-of-age tale charms viewers as they experience Eugene’s relationships with his family, including his mother, father, older brother, aunt, and her two daughters. His mother, Kate (Phoebe Dillard), is always blaming him for something, his father, Jack (John Walsh), is just trying to make ends meat, his brother, Stanley (Adam Thomas), offers tons of brotherly advice, and his cousin, Nora (Sarah Bowden), dreams of being under the stage lights. The two-act play revolves around Eugene’s reactions to his various family members and their problems.

Westfield’s production was anchored by perfect comedic timing and exceptional cast fraternity. The audience could clearly see the effort put into the characterization of the entire cast. While the use of Brooklyn accents by the entire cast was effective in establishing setting, some characters held onto it better than others. The cast handled very emotional, mature moments in a truly professional way, exceeding the expectations of high school theatre.

As the lead role, Clay made carrying a show look easy. With his impeccable comedic timing and a true understanding of his character and the emotions Eugene experiences, Clay captured the audience’s attention wholeheartedly. A veritable complement to his acting mastermind was Dillard, playing his mother Kate. The dynamic between the two was supreme and had the entire audience laughing hysterically. Even in the weightier scenes where family anguish was discovered, Dillard perfectly executed a difficult character for a high-school student to play.

There were several other noteworthy performance, including that of the sickly younger cousin, Laurie, played by Elisabeth Bloxam. Bloxam’s sass and subtle manipulation of Eugene was genius. She was always found to be reacting to the situation, even when she was not the focus. Equally as enthralling to watch was the performance of Thomas as Stanley. Thomas showed a great variety of emotion, ranging from the sophomoric, confident, older brother, to the exposed and fearful son. Thomas’ portrayal of Stanley losing his seventeen dollar salary for the month was truly moving.

The technical aspects of Westfield’s production were what made it truly exceptional. With sound flawlessly executed by Kieran Claffey and Taylor Aucott and exceptional lighting designed by Andy Talavera-Roca and Aria Velz, the audience was truly taken to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn New York. With lighting features as subtle as blue light to represent moonlight outside windows, to complement a beautiful, two-story set designed by Alex Butterfield and Annie Dykstra, a successful setting was produced.

The tech and the acting made Westfield’s production of Brighton Beach Memoirs left the audience wanting more; a truly remarkable production for such mature content at a high school level.

by Holly Kelly of Oakton High School

Written by Henrik Ibsen, A Doll House was originally set in an 1870’s Norwegian parlor. The play made its Broadway debut at the Palmer’s Theatre in 1889 on December 21st. Westfield took an American twist to the play and set it in suburban America during the 1950’s, when the oppression of women was a household staple. Along with this transition in setting came a translation in text by Rick Davis and Brian Johnston.

The play revolves around the marriage of Nora and Torvald which deteriorates throughout the play until Nora leaves her husband the day after Christmas. We learn that Nora borrowed money from Krogstad in order to support the family while Torvald was ill, but now he is threatening to tell her husband how she went behind his back. Friends become involved and secrets are revealed until finally Nora has had enough and she is forced to break the cycle.

The actors expressed the subtle nuances required by each character. Through their connections with their own characters, the actors were able to create realistic and meaningful relationships with one another.

While Jeremy Rommel (Torvald) was the patronizing jerk any feminist would want to smack, Leslie Roth (Nora) brought the subtle characteristics of Nora’s personality to the forefront. During the third act, Rommel came into his own, displaying the many dimensions of Torvald’s personality. From cruel rage to sobbing pleas, his motivations were evident in his physicality and facial expressions. Roth’s gradual transition from a frivolous skylark to a rational woman seemed natural and unforced. From acting to dancing, her tarantella showcased her talent as a dancer but did not stray from the Italian style of the dance allowing the moment to enhance rather than distract.

Mrs. Linde (Eden Volbrecht) and Dr. Rank (Alex Kruszewski) remained honest and human creating characters who stood in contrast with the Helmers. Kruszewski’s rasping voice went right along with his gritty wit, but his warmth and concern shined through making his somber character all the more convincing. Volbrecht portrayed Mrs. Linde as a guarded widow, but threw all reservations out the window when she came face to face with her former lover Krogstad.

The amount of teamwork that went into this show was evident. From the excellent volume control to the subtle yet dramatic lighting every aspect fell into place. The costumes looked right at home in the two story set which had all the cozy trimmings you would expect in a 1950’s home. The props crew provided the finishing touches, making sure there was never a shortage of macaroons.

Westfield’s production of A Doll House shattered the cookie cutter mold of the traditional 1950’s family and forced everyone to contemplate whether “The most wonderful thing of all” is really that wonderful.

by Chelsea Bracci of South County Secondary

The first extremely noticeable aspect of the show was the various colors of the sets and costumes. At first, when the heroine, Dorothy (Martina Green) was shown in her unhappy state, the color is dull and gray, but when a storm carried her to the magical Land of Oz, the colors became vivid. The set, lighting, and costumes all began to show beautiful contrasts.

The colors, however, did not distract to the extent that the prowess of the performers was nullified. Dorothy and the many characters she met on her adventure in Oz showed dancing, singing, and acting skills that were well above average. Dorothy herself, played by Martina Green, had an incredible voice, showcased especially by the finale song “Home,” seemingly perfect for her range. Another wonderful voice was present in the title character, played by Garrett Henson. Henson’s Wiz also had some well-played quirkiness.

Dorothy’s newfound friends also were wonderful performers. Russell Wagoner paired clumsy body movements and sweet, fluid vocals in his portrayal of Scarecrow. His wonderful voice made it a shame that he hadn’t had more chances to use it. Chris Wildy was hilarious as Tin Man, whose robotic dance moves were a treat to watch. Cody Jones played a solid and sympathetic Lion, just aching for some courage.

Jade Jones brought down the house with her voice. It commanded attention, as did her deft acting turns. She portrayed both Aunt Em and Evillene incredibly and beautifully, and her singing was a show highlight. Other standout performances included Leslie Roth‘s talented Evvamene, who was able to characterize silently using her powerful and skillful dancing. She danced almost cryptically, emanating chaos and evil.

A highlight of the ensemble performances were the Crows (Jonathan Goldsmith, Jeremy Rommel, Taylor Aucott, and Nick Cirillo), who showed great chemistry and movement. All of the members of the many different ensemble were engaged in the performance, although sometimes they distracted from the main plot. While some moments of the show seemed too chaotic and unstable, in which lines and actions were lost to the audience, the energy of the show carried it forward.

While lighting was distracting at some times, it was beautifully displayed at others. The orchestra also played their parts with amazing skill, helping to set a dreamlike tone. The Wiz is a wonderful musical, and Westfield’s cast and crew really pulled off an admirable performance. There should be “No Bad News” for them.

by Josh Simon of Winston Churchill