Nominations for Georgia high school theater’s version of Broadway’s Tony Awards, the Shuler Awards, were announced on Monday, April 19, by the ArtsBridge Foundation. This year’s nominations were revealed through a special online presentation.
The 2020-2021 Shuler Awards program will announce the winners for the 15 competition categories during a virtual awards ceremony. The ceremony will be broadcast on GPB-TV live at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 20.
The nominees are from the 17 public and private schools from across the state that entered their school’s production into the competition and were selected as finalists. Several local schools earned nominations, including Lanier High School, Buford High School, Duluth High School, Flowery Branch High School and Lakeview Academy (Gainesville).
“Everyone at ArtsBridge Foundation congratulates this year’s Shuler Award nominees from high schools across Georgia,” said Jennifer D. Dobbs, executive director of the foundation. “In a year of extraordinary challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we admire the perseverance demonstrated by all students, educators and families of the 20 high schools in this year’s Shuler Awards competition, and can’t wait to celebrate the 20 schools among this year’s finalists.”
The Shuler Awards, also known as the Shuler Hensley Awards, began in 2009 honoring the state’s best students and schools in high school theater. The awards were named in honor of the Marietta-born star of the stage, according to the ArtsBridge Foundation. The Shuler Awards have engaged more than 60,000 students from 142 schools and 38 counties/school systems since 2009.
Below is a list of the local schools that earned nominations or honorable mentions for the 13th annual Shuler Hensley Awards.
Best Direction:
Brandy Carter, Duluth High School, Duluth, (Gwinnett County) for “Sister Act, Jr.”
Cece Conrath, Lakeview Academy, Gainesville, (Hall County) for “Urinetown”
Best Music Direction:
Honorable Mention: Ivy Overcash, Duluth High School, Duluth (Gwinnett County) for “Sister Act, Jr.”
Honorable Mention: Gretchen Plummer, Lakeview Academy, Gainesville (Hall County) for “Urinetown”
Best Choreography:
Honorable Mention: Isabelle Ponder, Duluth High School, Duluth (Gwinnett County) for “Sister Act, Jr.”
Honorable Mention: Megan Lance, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill (Gwinnett County) for “The Addams Family”
Best Ensemble:
Lakeview Academy, Gainesville (Hall County) for “Urinetown”
Lanier High School, Sugar Hill (Gwinnett County) for “The Addams Family”
Honorable Mention: Buford High School, Buford (Gwinnett County) for “Bright Star” (2020 nominee “Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”)
Best Scenic Design:
Maia Rowland/Shannon Leahy, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill (Gwinnett County) for “The Addams Family”
Honorable Mention: Christian Aluia/Laney Berkemeier/Isabelle Brewer, Buford High School, Buford (Gwinnett County) for “Bright Star”
Honorable Mention: Jorja Powell/Shealyn Schultz/Grace Tollett, Flowery Branch High School, Flowery Branch (Hall County) for “Godspell”
Best Costumes:
Peyton Wilkes/Brianna Rischar/Abby Robertson/Kamari Robertson, Buford High School, Buford (Gwinnett County) for “Bright Star”
Isabelle Ponder, Duluth High School, Duluth (Gwinnett County) for “Sister Act, Jr.”
Paulina Cortes, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill (Gwinnett County) for “The Addams Family”
Honorable Mention: Annie Cox, Flowery Branch High School, Flowery Branch (Hall County) for “Godspell”
Best Performance by a Leading Actress:
Honorable Mention: D’Quessani Lee, Duluth High School, Duluth (Gwinnett County) for “Sister Act, Jr.”
Best Performance by a Leading Actor:
Honorable Mention: Brayden Galley, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill (Gwinnett County) for “The Addams Family”
Best Performance by a Supporting Actress:
Caylyn Kelly, Duluth High School, Duluth (Gwinnett County) for “Sister Act, Jr.”
Honorable Mention: Maria Eva Cline, Buford High School, Buford (Gwinnett County) for “Bright Star”
Best Performance by a Supporting Actor:
Honorable Mention: Dylan Nabeth, Duluth High School, Duluth (Gwinnett County) for “Sister Act, Jr.”
Honorable Mention: David Filson, Lakeview Academy, Gainesville (Hall County) for “Urinetown”
Best Performance by a Featured Performer:
Isabelle Ponder, Duluth High School, Duluth (Gwinnett County) for “Sister Act, Jr.”
Noah Caplan, Lakeview Academy, Gainesville (Hall County) for “Urinetown”
Honorable Mention: James Scott, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill (Gwinnett County) for “The Addams Family”
Best Overall Production:
Duluth High School, Duluth (Gwinnett County), “Sister Act, Jr.”
Lakeview Academy, Gainesville (Hall County), “Urinetown”
Best Show-Must-Go-On Spotlight:
Duluth High School, Duluth (Gwinnett County) for “Sister Act, Jr.”
Lanier High School, Sugar Hill (Gwinnett County) for “The Addams Family”
The awards for Orchestra and Showstopper will be announced on May 20. For a complete list of the nominees, as well as scholarship recipients, visit ArtsBridgeGa.org/2021-shuler-award-nominations.
