This classic drama was written by the famed playwright Tennessee Williams in 1955 and takes place over one night. This as a large Southern family celebrates the birthday of their patriarch, who possesses a fortune made on his cotton plantation. Beneath his descendants’ smiling faces, Big Daddy (Sam Lammie) knows they hide secrets and ulterior motives, and over the entire family is spread an air of suspicion and resentment. The family is going through a crisis; Big Daddy is dying, and the biggest lie is: he doesn’t know it yet.

Maggie the Cat (Kyra Klontz) is the wife of Big Daddy’s second son, Brick (Ned Sieverts). She describes herself as a “cat on a hot tin roof,” because she loves Brick and wants to keep living with him, but he won’t sleep with her and she’s starving for love. Klontz gave views into both emotional sides of Maggie the Cat. She could be cool and confident, utilizing body language and a tone of voice that said she knew would eventually get what she wanted. But every so often her intense frustration, simmering on the back burner, would boil over and show itself in her suddenly desperate and harsh voice, which gave the character depth and contrast.

Ned Sieverts showed Brick’s cynical personality in all his interactions with the other characters, from his monosyllabic responses, to his sardonic attitude and expressions. His sullenness was conveyed in the deep, slow drawl of his voice, and the way he pronounced every syllable of each word which made him increasingly stiff and cold. These factors contributed to Sieverts’ believable portrayal of a man who wants to remain distant, who wants to keep all his emotions, and all his memories of the past, bottled up inside of himself.

Sam Lammie played a convincing Big Daddy, showing how the character, under a stolid exterior, was extremely frustrated and disgusted with his family and this system of mendacity. Lammie demonstrated that Big Daddy’s personality showed his frustration by turning a cold shoulder on his wife and children, and hurling sarcasm at them in an extremely cruel way. Lammie conveyed that Big Daddy especially despised his first son’s wife, Mae (Caroline Petro). Mae was trying to secure her husband’s inheritance by making it clear, every chance she got, that she had children and Brick and Maggie did not. Petro conveyed this nagging toward Big Daddy very well, and poignantly delivered sharp insults at Maggie, to show her condescension towards the childless woman.

The time period and situation were elaborated on the set and in the props, showing Brick and Maggie’s bedroom with matching bedspread and curtains, and an old clock on the nightstand. The costumes added to the understanding of how well-off the characters were, with the women wearing appropriate jewelry, and their hair styles fitting their characters nicely.

With its mature themes and incredibly dramatic and meaningful text, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a daring feat for high school students to attempt. H-B Woodlawn presented it well, showing the audience the depth of a family’s crisis, and doing justice to Tennessee Williams’ finest.

by Allison Fantz of Robert E. Lee High School

Photo Gallery

Kyra Klontz and Ned Sieverts	Ned Sieverts and Kyra Klontz
Sam Lammie, Charlie Mai, James Reed, Caroline Petro, Anna Toth, Amie Heng	Ned Sieverts and Sam Lammie

Photos by Grace Cannon

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

The Foreigner was written by Larry Shue and opened off-Broadway in 1984, running for 686 performances. The play is the story of Charlie Baker, a painfully shy traveler who pretends to be foreign to avoid having to talk to any of the other visitors at a Georgia guest house. But when Charlie’s disguise makes him privy to the most lurid secrets of the town, he has to speak up in order to save the kind-hearted people he has grown to love.

As the titular character, Kamau Mitchell proved himself to be a veritable comedic virtuoso. His mostly silent role demanded nothing short of impeccable physicality, and he delivered it every instant he was onstage, with superb facial reactions that conveyed sincere emotion without a sound. He had the audience in the palm of his hand for the entire evening, drawing hysterical laughter with just a flick of his eye or a twist of his mouth. However, when Mitchell combined his prodigious pantomime skills with his under-utilized vocal talents, he created the play’s most memorable scene. Faced with the monumental task of telling a story entirely in gibberish, Mitchell produced a side-splitting masterpiece which had the audience screaming with laughter.

The colorful cast of supporting characters enhanced the ridiculous situational comedy of The Foreigner. Shelby Smout was charmingly ignorant as Betty Meeks, the owner of the Georgia fishing lodge where Charlie is staying. Smout was not afraid of going over the top in her performance, and her absurd antics and misunderstandings set up Charlie for priceless reactions. Rhys Davis played Ellard, the slow neighborhood boy who becomes Charlie’s English tutor, with believable simplicity and innocence that was alternately heart-warming and ludicrous. Another standout was Charlie Mai, who brought boundless energy to the role of Froggy LeSeur, Charlie’s best friend. Mai’s exaggerated portrayal of the military man was perfectly appropriate for the farcical humor of the play. His scenes with Charlie were practically bursting with vivacity and comedic zeal.

The tech elements of the production were full of excellent ideas and effort. Student John Ponder White deserves congratulations for his directorial achievements, particularly in his attention to detail in staging the mannerisms of the actors. The lighting crew was also noteworthy for creating an admirably realistic thunderstorm during the opening scene, helping to establish the location decisively in the minds of the audience.

Words often fail to capture the simple truth of pure emotions. The barriers of language can divide people from each other, but HB Woodlawn Secondary Program proved that laughter is a universal tongue that needs no translation in their hilarious production of The Foreigner.

by Madelyn Paquette of McLean High School

Photo Gallery

Shelby Smout and Charlie Mai	Kamau Mitchell
Kamau Mitchell, Charlie Mai and Rhys Davis	Leora Lihach, Shelby Smout and Kamau Mitchell

Photos by Zoe Miller

Written in 2000 by Rebecca Gilman, Boy Gets Girl was first staged at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. The play revolves around Theresa Bedell (Clara Nice), and her spiraling problems with Tony (Sam Lammie). They go on a couple of dates, but Theresa decides very quickly that he isn’t right for her. Tony, however, refuses to accept that it is over. He sends her flowers and calls her constantly, and finally begins to follow and threaten her. Theresa finds support in co-workers Howard Siegel (Josh Eddy) and Mercer Stevens (Mick Sloan) and eventually in detective Madeleine Beck (Ana Cackley), but even with friendship and the law the peril of her situation can only be remedied through escape.

The themes of this play were serious and often dark, with graphic language and emotionally jarring scenes. The cast’s ability to perform this piece maturely and without backing away from more intense subject matter is to be applauded, as is student director Addison Janney for taking such an intense piece and forming something realistic and subtle.

A perfect example of this was Josh Eddy, as Howard Siegel. His understated character choices, ability to switch between comedic and dramatic moments on a dime, and energy allowed him to truly shine. Whether listening or speaking, he always seemed natural and genuine in his role. Clara Nice also showed honesty and nuance in her role as Theresa Bedell, a difficult part with a wide range of emotion which she carried solidly.

While some actors had a little trouble with volume and diction, others made sure their every line was heard. Of note were Mick Sloan as Mercer Stevens, and Ana Cackley as Detective Beck, both of whom made firm character choices and stayed committed to them. Among the rest of the cast, tones and moments of passion came across beautifully, creating tension and anticipation for Theresa’s final decision.

Technical aspects in this production were generally minimalistic due to the constraints of the blackbox theater in which it was performed. Set pieces were few and sometimes messy, but always effective. The stage crew did an excellent job of moving these pieces, setting with speed. However, lighting was basic and sound effects, when used, made it hard to hear actors onstage.

This was an extremely difficult play to create and handle with maturity. The thespians of H-B Woodlawn took on a challenge, and should be praised for showcasing such an adult, complex piece.

by Billy Baker of Chantilly High School

Photo Gallery

Sam Lammie (as Tony) and Clara Nice (as Theresa Bedell)	Clara Nice (as Theresa Bedell) and Josh Eddy (as Howard Siegel)
Josh Eddy (as Howard Siegel) and Mick Sloan (as Mercer Stevens)	Ana Cackley (as Madeleine Beck)

Photos by Chris Janney

The story begins in the prison cell of Jeff, a teenager who is on trial for murder. He begins to tell the story of his life and the events that led to the murder to his attorney through several flashbacks. His sister, who committed suicide after years of abuse by their adopted father, appears again and again in the prison and in Jeff’s flashbacks, unseen by any of the other characters but very much present to Jeff. Beginning as a snide and teasing sister, she transforms into a monster of torment for Jeff, who blames himself for not protecting her from their father. His survivor’s guilt transforms him from a hurt but kind boy into a violent, abusive young man who finally allows her memory to ruin his life as he gives in to anger and fights with a knife resulting in the death of a young boy.

The entire show was riveting from beginning to end. Olivia Myers created a story which although it seemed to have an overdose of tragedy, was powerful and suspenseful. She built the tension in the murder scene expertly and had the audience on the edge of their seats waiting to see who would be killed. As director, Olivia showed maturity and insight remarkable for a high school director. Her blocking was especially well thought out in the fight and prison scenes.

Patrick Stearman took the intricate character of Jeff and brought remarkable passion and commitment to his tortured, angry character. Not only did he never lose character, but he also made every physical movement from fighting to throwing up intense and believable.

Hope, played by Lydia Fisher-Laskey had a wonderful grasp on her sweet, motherly character but also brought the realistic side of Hope’s frustrations and tragedies to life. Her scenes with her mentally retarded little brother, Henry (Mick Sloan) were sweet and believable. Mick Sloan tackled the difficult task of playing a little boy with mental retardation with sensitivity, endearing him to the audience and making his death all the more tragic.

The continuity of the show was maintained by the supporting actors whose committed characters brought energy and drive to the show. Keeka Grant, as Sarah Jane, brought her very complex and ultimately evil character to life, making the audience cringe every time she reentered the stage to torment Jeff. Another memorable character was Jeff’s insecure, weak friend Nick (Jack Crawford-Brown) who redeemed himself at the end of the play, striking the only hopeful chord at the bleak ending. Jack Crawford-Brown kept his humor and mumbling voice according to character but was always understandable throughout the play.

The lighting (Calvin McPhail-Snyder) was effective in creating moods of suspense and anxiety in the prison scenes and lighter happier moods in some of the flashbacks. Stage Crew (Matthew Welborn) moved the minimal props quickly and were not very noticeable.

H-B Woodlawn took a momentously difficult story and brought it to life realistically and professionally.

by Anna Smith of Seton School

Written in 1988 by Wendy Wasserstein, a pioneer in the subgenre of feminist theatre, The Heidi Chronicles is the only play written by a woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. It begins as Heidi, an art historian, lectures at Columbia University on the neglect of women painters throughout history, and recalls the events that shaped her own feelings of marginalization. Through flashbacks, which begin with Heidi’s high school dance in 1968 and continue through the McCarthy era, the feminist movement, Reagan-era greed, the spectre of AIDS and the awareness of approaching old age, Heidi’s quest for purpose in the Baby Boom Generation is revealed.

Masterfully paced and maturely acted, the success of H-B’s production lay primarily in the actors’ ability to extend Heidi’s story to a relatable metaphor for not only women or Baby Boomers, but anyone who has ever sought meaning and identity for their own life. Student director Elizabeth Marsden successfully incorporated the script’s irony, humor, and wit into a performance that collectively transcended feminist stereotypes.

As the title character, Caitlin Levine led the talented cast with poise, intelligence, and a subtle vulnerability. Tackling heavy dialogue, including one particularly climactic monologue in which she revealed that she felt “left behind,” Levine handled her witty, unique character with ease. Her development from awkward teenager to idealistic intellectual to lost, disappointed woman, was seamlessly portrayed, and she forged almost tangible connections with other characters as the play progressed. One such character was Addison Janney as Peter, a caustic but lovable gay pediatrician who supports Heidi as she attempts to discover herself. As Scoop, an arrogant opportunist whose charisma typifies him as the man who leads intelligent women to make bad decisions, Johnny Landers believably matured as the play progressed. Landers and Levine’s chemistry smoldered, making unspoken moments between the two some of the most memorable in the play.

Olivia Myers brimmed with life whenever she appeared, first as Fran, a fiery lesbian physicist eager to advance women’s status, and later as Lisa, Scoop’s friendly, unchallenging Stepford wife. Her complete lack of inhibitions and fearless physicality were outstanding without being overpowering. Julia Petro executed the most drastic character transformation as Heidi’s friend Susan, who abandons her feminist principles to become a Hollywood producer. Montana Debor had a delightful cameo as Jill, an overworked mother of four, eager to reclaim her responsibilities to herself.

The simple scenery and lighting worked well in the intimate black box venue, allowing the focus to remain on the actors. Actors covered well for late sound cues, and musical selections, from Janis Joplin to John Lennon, effectively formed a time lime for Heidi’s growth and searching.

H-B’s powerful, thought-provoking production commendably portrayed a universal human longing- to create for ourselves a meaningful, rewarding life.

by Emily O’Connell of Bishop Ireton High School

Written by Douglas Carter, the show opened at the New York City Drama Department in 1997. Four weeks later it moved to the Lucille Lortel Theater, where it ran for one year and won the Outer Critics Circle award for playwriting and was nominated for the Drama Desk best play.

Eric Wollenstein (penname Evan Wyler), an up-and-coming novelist, is taken in by Alexa Vere De Vere, a glamorous, exciting woman who wants Evan to write the screenplay for a movie about her life. Offering money and fame, Alexa manipulates him into using his credit card to pay for her extravagances while telling outrageous stories about her many adventures. On the eve of their departure to LA for a meeting with studio executives, Alexa disappears.

Upon finding her former friend Mike, Evan learns that her real name is Brenda, and that Alexa’s persona was created to attract people to an art show to sell Mike’s paintings when the two were young, poor artists. When Mike spurned her advances, she left and never spoke to him again, instead using her new identity to steal thousands of dollars from struggling, almost-famous artists. Determined to get revenge, Evan contacts hundreds of Alexa’s victims to confront her.

Woodlawn’s production, directed by senior Sabrina Zeile, made excellent use of the school’s Black Box theater. The cast was strong and clearly dedicated to their multiple roles, effortlessly moving between comedy and drama.

The six-person cast demonstrated an impressive versatility, with four supporting actors playing twenty different roles. As Evan, Tyson Price was endearingly awkward. Miranda Webster was superb as Alexa, flawlessly showing the transition from idealistic writer Brenda to alluring, manipulative Alexa. Graham Hooper stood out among the supporting performers, switching faultlessly from an effeminate salesclerk at Saks to a coke-sniffing British rocker to the sweet but hurt painter, Mike. The other actors, Jack Crawford-Brown, Montana Debor, and Caroline Brent, displayed similar skill, transitioning skillfully between multiple characters.

The set, designed by Connor Tepel, was minimal but creative, allowing for quick scene changes to keep the show running smoothly. The lights, run by Michael Gibbs, were excellent at setting the tone of the show.

As Bees in Honey Drown is both funny and sad, providing a commentary on the pitfalls of fame and wealth while keeping a sense of humor. H-B Woodlawn did an excellent job of balancing these two aspects, delivering an entertaining and satisfying performance with an agility rarely found in high school theater.

by Athena Hughes of Woodrow Wilson

Thomasina Coverly – played by Maddy Smith

Arcadia‘s first New York performance in 1995 featured the talents of Academy Award-nominated actor Paul Giamatti, actor Billy Crudup, and Trevor Nunn, past director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The 1995 production received a Tony Award nomination for best play. Considering its prestigious roots, H-B Woodlawn’s cast and crew picked a daunting challenge, but executed it with obvious vigor. The production constructed a time machine, catapulted the audience between centuries, and formed an intellectually stimulating juxtaposition between the dramas of 1803 and an emotionally charged 2007.

An old and historically rich country house in Sidley Park acts as the medium through which H-B Woodlawn’s production transcends time. Authors, botanists, poets, and the brightest of mathematicians quickly weave in and out of the home’s many doors, delivering powerful speeches and stumbling upon significant discoveries. Tom Stoppard’s play touches on everything from physics and nihilism to landscape design. The interwoven motifs, while intensely abstract, endowed the production with dizzying allure.

Inescapable humor and witty barbs balance out the intense subject matter in Arcadia. While the play coaxed the audience to question logic, the cast demonstrated expert knowledge of the script, developing the characters with depth and skill. Simply going through the motions was not an option for the H-B Woodlawn players. Strong acting anchored the play and smashed the audience/character barrier into a thousand pieces.

Graham Hooper, as the pretentious Bernard Nightingale, skillfully commanded the stage. His expertly crafted hand gestures and expressions brought the erudite prose to life. Paired onstage, Hooper and Samantha Sheahan, as Chloe Coverly, produced an undeniable sexual tension. As Chloe Coverly countering Nightingale’s self-interested quest for prestige, Sheahan conveyed a charming sense of humanity. Maddy Smith, playing Thomasina Coverly of 1803, brought a whimsical naivete to the set that, like the Nightingale-Coverly couple of 2007, matched the charisma of William Haltiwanger as Coverly’s tutor Septimus Hodge. H-B Woodlawn selected a cast saturated with emotion and brimming with talent.

Hannah Jarvis and Bernard Nightingale –  played by Ashleigh Brown and Graham Hooper

Each century, be it the 19th of the 21st, blended together exquisitely. The actors conveyed a palpable energy throughout the piece, enthralling the audience. Student director Gregory Benson and assistant director Meg Brady forged an unforgettable production. The attention to consistent humor, polished comedic timing, and choreographed scenes glued together the piece’s scholarly reasoning.

The sparse set added a realistic element to Arcadia‘s already serious verse. Lighting established the time of day, mood, and paralleled the emotional exchange of the room’s inhabitants. Period costumes created by students Anna Strasburger and Claire Fogarty added to the contrast between 1803 and 2007.

H-B Woodlawn tackled a prestigious play and tamed its pedantic script. The cast and crew earned the audience’s plentiful laughter and a deserved ovation for their expert performance.

Reviewed by Glynis Mattheisen of WT Woodson.

This review was written by a Cappies high school critic. The Cappies were founded in 1999, for the purpose of celebrating high school theater arts and providing a learning opportunity for theater and journalism students. You can learn more at cappies.com.