×

Ray of Light Awards: CTL announces nominees for the 12th annual event

CTL announces nominees for the 12th annual event

Since 2009, the Community Theatre League has presented the annual Ray of Light Awards for excellence in high school theatre, recognizing the best and brightest in area high school music and theater departments and drama clubs. Schools who enter productions must be within a 40-mile radius of the Community Theatre League, Williamsport.

This year’s event will look a little different due to restrictions imposed by COVID-19, the 12th annual event was rescheduled and will be held by invitation only on June 20th at the Community Theatre League. This year’s award ceremony will be closed to the public except for those invited by the CTL, but the show will be live-streamed on the CTL Ray of Light Awards Facebook page.

This year, 25 productions were entered for adjudication. Nearly half of the school’s musicals were unable to be presented due to the closure of high schools. Because of this, no awards will be presented in these categories. All plays, however, were able to be adjudicated, so the Ray of Light Awards will be presented as usual for these categories.

Seth Sponhouse, CTL executive director, emphasizes that this year’s Ray of Light ceremony will focus on all the accomplishments of the area’s high school students and departments in these uncertain times.

Following tabulation of scores by the Community Theatre League’s adjudicators, the following 2020 nominations for the Ray of Light Awards were announced on June 1 by Sponhouse and Philip Vonada, general manager.

Honoring the musical productions entered:

“Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” Benton Area High School

“The Little Mermaid,” Central Columbia High School

“Little Women,” Central Mountain High School

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Hughesville Jr./Sr. High School.

“Seussical The Musical,” Line Mountain High School

“Pippin,” Loyalsock Township High School

“Annie,” Meadowbrook Christian School

“Bye Bye Birdie,” Midd-West High School

“The Addams Family,” Milton Area High School

“Bye Bye Birdie,” Montoursville Area High School

“Mamma Mia!,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School

“Once on This Island,” Shikellamy High School

“Into the Woods,” South Williamsport Area High School

Student Design Awards

Amber Fry, Sacha Alvarez, Faith Mihalick — Choreography, “Mamma Mia,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School.

Connor Gautiari — Art/set design, “Flowers for Algernon,” Williamsport Area High School.

Abbey Groover and Claire Groover — Choreography, “Mamma Mia!,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School.

Abbey Groover and Claire Groover — Choreography, “Anonymous,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School.

Faith Mihalick — Costume design, “Anonymous,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School.

Amy Pantoja — Make-up artistry, “Anonymous,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School.

Nevaeh Wertman — Set design, “Anonymous,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School.

Best performance in a cameo role in a play

Rosena Campana — As Cassie in “Rumors,” Loyalsock Township High School.

Devon Miller — As Shopping Cart Chaser in “Leaving Iowa,” Montoursville Area High School.

Janna Seyler — As Mother in “Flowers for Algernon,” Williamsport Area High School.

Maggie Stroop — As multiple roles in “Leaving Iowa,” Montoursville Area High School.

Brandon Tibbles — As Org in “The Three Fairy Godmothers,” Midd-West High School.

Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a play

Rita Auker — As Mary Hatch in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Selinsgrove Area High School.

Olivia Harvey — “Trap,” South Williamsport Area High School.

Kaitlyn Meule — As Irene in “Radium Girls,” Warrior Run High School.

Emma Mitcheltree — “Trap,” South Williamsport Area High School.

Emma Podobinski — As Kathryn in “Radium Girls,” Warrior Run High School.

Anna Wiest — As Omaha in “Second Samuel,” Shikellamy Area High School.

Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a play

Jaydon Cottage — As Dr. Sanderson in “Harvey,” Milton High School.

Chris Emery — As Tom in “Radium Girls,” Warrior Run High School.

Logan Garrett — As Cmdr. Brooke in “The Uninvited,” Jersey Shore Area High School.

Zackary Keller — As Leonard in “Rumors,” Loyalsock Township High School.

Connor Smith — As Rickenoch Baynor in “Trap,” South Williamsport Area High School.

MacRay VanKirk — Frisky in “Second Samuel,” Shikellamy Area High School.

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play

Kevin Anderson — As Dad in “Leaving Iowa,” Montoursville Area High School.

Adam Fox — As Roddy Fitzgerald in “The Uninvited,” Jersey Shore Area High School.

Spencer Mabus — As Elwood Dowd in “Harvey,” Milton Area High School.

Adam Mutschler — As Roeder in “Radium Girls,” Warrior Run High School.

Quahme Powell — As Charlie Gordon in “Flowers for Algernon,” Williamsport Area High School.

Jacob Rousu — As George Bailey in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Selinsgrove Area High School.

Caleb Wertz — As B-Flat in “Second Samuel,” Shikellamy Area High School.

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play

Meredith Gardner — As Grace in “Radium Girls,” Warrior Run High School.

Ashley Loss — As Sister in “Leaving Iowa,” Montoursville Area High School.

Amber Fry — As Naja in “Anonymous,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School.

Rachel Kern — As Veta Simmons in “Harvey,” Milton High School.

Makenzie Shimko — As Chris in “Rumors,” Loyalsock Township High School.

Aleah Stahlnecker — As Grace in “Radium Girls,” Hughesville Jr./Sr. High School.

Autumn Zeigler — As Hoplandria in “The Three Fairy Godmothers,” Midd-West High School.

Best ensemble work in a play

“Rumors,” Loyalsock Township High School

“Leaving Iowa,” Montoursville Area High School

“Anonymous,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School

“Second Samuel,” Shikellamy Area High School

“Radium Girls,” Warrior Run High School

“Flowers for Algernon,” Williamsport Area High School

Best small-cast play

“Radium Girls,” Hughesville Jr./Sr. High School, Radium Girls

“The Uninvited,” Jersey Shore Area High School

“Rumors,” Loyalsock Township High School

“The Three Fairy Godmothers,” Midd-West High School

“Harvey,” Milton Area High School

“Leaving Iowa,” Montoursville Area High School

Best large-cast play

“Anonymous,” Muncy Jr./Sr. High School

“It’s a Wonderful Life,” Selinsgrove Area High School

“Second Samuel,” Shikellamy High School

“Trap,” South Williamsport Area High School

“Radium Girls,” Warrior Run High School

“Flowers for Algernon,” Williamsport Area High School

Finalists for the Andree P. Phillips Leadership in the Arts Award

Amber Fry, Muncy Jr./Sr. High School

Meredith Gardner, Warrior Run High School

Theresa Gill, Central Columbia High School

Cecelia Huntington, Benton Area High School

Ashley Loss, Montoursville Area High School

Faith Mihalick, Muncy Jr./Sr. High School

Julia Priestman, Central Columbia High School

Hannah Rankey, Loyalsock Township High School

Makenzie Shimko, Loyalsock Township High School

Olivia Zeisloft, Central Columbia High School

“We are thrilled to continue honoring the music, drama and theatre programs through the Ray of Light Awards,” Sponhouse said. “We look forward to seeing the arts come back bigger and stronger than ever when it is safe to in the coming year.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today