Shout hallelujah — c’mon get Cappies!
This year’s Cappies Gala took place on Sunday night, June 7. As usual, the event was a spectacular celebration where students, teachers, parents, and community leaders came together to recognize the many contributions of high school theater and journalism in the Washington, DC, region.
The Cappies (Critics and Awards Program) is an international program that trains high school theater and journalism students to attend and review productions. The National Capital Area Cappies is one of 12 Cappies chapters in the U.S. and Canada. Throughout the year, student critics attend productions at area schools and write reviews that are considered for publication in local media outlets. The Gala is the end-of-year recognition of everyone’s hard work throughout the year.
The emcees of this year’s gala were Cappies NCA Chair and Fairfax County Public Schools K-12 theater and dance educational specialist Dr. Tara Taylor and professional actor (and Cappies alum) Noah Mutterpurl. The event was directed by Brian Kaufman, with Maeve Nash (production manager) and Kate York (technical director).
The first awards of the evening are given to the outstanding student critics who spent the year reviewing high school theater productions. This year marked the inaugural Bill and Jane Strauss Outstanding Critic Award and scholarship, presented by the Strausses’ daughter, Victoria Hays. The award and $1,500 scholarship were awarded to Mary Campbell of Westfield High School.
The rest of the awards presented at the Cappies Gala go to artists involved in productions reviewed throughout the year (outstanding performance, outstanding production, etc.).
The highlight of every Cappies Gala is the performances of songs and scenes from nominated productions. Many of the performances featured graduating seniors in the final moments of their high school careers, resulting in tears of joy and sadness backstage amid well-earned applause. As wonderful as the performances were on stage, the camaraderie and raucous cheering were the most moving parts of the night.
Some of the standout performances came from the biggest winners of the evening, including Lake Braddock High School’s Cabaret (1998 Version) and South Lakes High School’s A Monster Calls. Lake Braddock’s production of Cabaret took home many awards, including Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Musical, Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Musical, Best Orchestra, and Best Musical.
South Lakes High School’s production of A Monster Calls earned Cappies for its Core Ensemble, Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Play, and Best Play. One of my favorite performances came from Cappie-nominated Katie Musick of Quince Orchard High School and her performance of “Fly, Fly Away” from Catch Me If You Can.
The Cappies Awards Gala took place on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. The Cappies Gala will be telecast in its entirety on Fairfax County Public Schools’ cable channel, Red Apple 21, and will be available online at Fairfax County Public Schools TV starting Friday, June 12, at 7:00 p.m.
More about the Cappies: The Cappies is an international nonprofit program that recognizes, celebrates, and provides learning experiences for high school theater and journalism students. Within each Cappies program, participating high schools select three to nine students for a critic team. After receiving intensive training in theater criticism and review writing, the critic team attends and provides a written review of plays and musicals produced by other participating high schools in their area. Volunteer teacher-mentors lead discussions and select the critic-written reviews that are later published by area newspapers. At the end of the year, the student critics cast ballots for the top achievements in 39 award categories. At the end of the season, the critics who have reviewed five or more shows may vote for the Cappie award winners.
The 2026 Cappie Award Winners
Winners are indicated with an asterisk.
Andy Mays Rising Critic (9th-10th Grade)
Julian Hassi, McLean High School
Wyatt Collis, Oakton High School
*Abby Marroquin, West Springfield High School
Caroline Wright, Westfield High School
Janine Khandker, Westfield High School
Maryland Theater Guide Returning Critic (11th Grade)
Erin Allen, Bishop Ireton High School
Gigi Okey-Eboh, Centreville High School
Noah Kirkland, Quince Orchard High School
*Alden Walcott, South Lakes High School
Iris Cooper, Westfield High School
Bill and Jane Strauss Graduating Critic (12th Grade)
Madelyn Regan, Centreville High School
Naomi Bautista, Fairfax High School
Hayden Schweikert, McLean High School
Micah Chlan, McLean High School
*Mary Campbell, Westfield High School
Marketing and Publicity
Lucy Baboyian, Angela Fuentes-Quinteros, Marcello Canniff, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Annandale High School
The A Monster Calls Public Relations & Marketing Team, A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
*Megan Sawyer and the Riverside Grease Team, Grease: School Version, Riverside High School
Lena Fleschner, Ella McAllister, and the In the Heights Publicity Team, In the Heights, Albert Einstein High School
The Something Rotten Publicity Team, Something Rotten!, Fairfax High School
Special Effects and or Technology
Emilie Fiske, Eamon O’Leary, Isabelle Philippe, and the A Monster Calls Special Effects Crew, A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
Lillian Grace “LG” Branco, Between the Lines, Osbourn Park High School
Emy Fase, Clue: On Stage, Justice High School
Rebecca Drobnis, Bella Bean, and the Magical Special Effects Crew, Macbeth, West Springfield High School
*Jonah Johnson and the SFX Team, Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at Certain School of Magic and Magic Young Wizard Edition, Westfield High School
Hair and Make-up
Lauren Lewin, Amadeus, Meridian High School
Kieran McCartney, Julia Sturgell, Ashley Rivera, Marie Scott, Arsenic and Old Lace, Herndon High School
LJ Rex, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
*Vivi Parsons, Peyton Olsen, Julia Zaiets, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Yorktown High School
Lily Fitzgibbons, and the JMHS Hair and Makeup Team, Zombie Prom, James Madison High School
Sound
Liliana Torres, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Annandale High School
Brooklyn Whyte and the A Monster Calls Sound Crew, A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
*Dylan Bryan, Kristen Pokryfka, Amadeus, Meridian High School
Danielle Vasiliev, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Chase Chapman, Leo Deangelo, Jared Marquez, Caitlin McCourt, The Phantom of the Opera, Colgan High School
Props
Avy Aubouin, Ian Wright, Rubina Dhungel, Joelle Dykstra, Arsenic and Old Lace, Herndon High School
*Ava Check, Hunter Bombaci, Natalie Gilmore, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Yorktown High School
Margaret Hughes, Liv Rosenfeld, Katherine Hager, Men on Boats, McLean High School
Iris Cooper, Orin Kelly, Arushi Dasgupta, Natalie Talberg, Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at Certain School of Magic and Magic Young Wizard Edition, Westfield High School
Gauri Pillai, Charlotte Gould, Gray Czarnecki, The Play That Goes Wrong, Langley High School
Lighting
Alexandra Farrell, Eamon O’Leary, Sebastian Harman, and the A Monster Calls Lighting Crew, A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
*Sage Esarey, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Jude Buber, Matthew Tercero, and the GCTC Lighting Team, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
William Waugh, Kareena Kasperowski, Natalie Mitchell, It’s a Wonderful Life, South County High School
Susie Hoopes, Conrad Hirsch, and the Whitman Lights Team, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, Walt Whitman High School
Costumes
Audrey Ihde, Kara Duble, and the Costume Team, Anything Goes, Oakton High School
*Lila Halleran, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Vivi Parsons, Peyton Olsen, Josie Hadges, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Yorktown High School
CW Johnston, Nancy McDougal, Keira Shearon, and the BITA Costuming Team, Jane Austen’s Emma, Bishop Ireton High School
Charlie Dyer, and the Costuming Crew, Zombie Prom, James Madison High School
Sets
Maya Sanchez, Sam Reksulak, Ida Selander, and the Set Team, Anything Goes, Oakton High School
Carson Brownlee, Mubeen Ahmad, Trevor Freeman, Serena Indrisano, Arsenic and Old Lace, Herndon High School
ITPA Scenic Design Team, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Independence High School
Rami Aboud, Emma Zheng, Shyla Rhodes, Arlo Kouzoukas, The Play That Goes Wrong, Langley High School
Sophie Sehring, The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition), Wakefield School
Orchestra
The Bow Blowers, Anything Goes, Oakton High School
*The Kit Kat Club Orchestra, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Quince Orchard Theatre Pit Orchestra, Catch Me If You Can, Quince Orchard High School
The Whitman Pit Orchestra, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, Walt Whitman High School
Colgan Pit Orchestra, The Phantom of the Opera, Colgan High School
Choreography
Nate Kauffman, Karolina Kellogg, Sophie Levine, Catch Me If You Can, Quince Orchard High School
Lily Knoll, Lindsay Brody, Alexa Gilligan, Makena Smith, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Independence High School
*Nate Smith, Naomi Bautista, Libby Hansen, Something Rotten!, Fairfax High School
Charlotte Elliott, The Phantom of the Opera, Colgan High School
Katie Johnson, Lexi Stattel, Zombie Prom, James Madison High School
Creativity
*Taylor Clawson, Emilie Fiske, & Isabelle Phillipe, Animations & Video Editing, A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
Will Albaugh, Musicality, Amadeus, Meridian High School
Augie Russo, Director, Anastasia: the Musical, Alexandria City High School
Abeni Smith, Thomas Gay, and the TJTA Dramaturgy Team, Anastasia: The Musical, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Jason Ye, Composition, Zombie Prom, James Madison High School
Stage Management
*Christine Dang, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Chloe Bernasconi, Tobey Phinney, Clue: On Stage, Justice High School
Mimi Wise, Veronica Zadecky, and the GCTC Stage Management Team, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Katherine Dailey, Men on Boats, McLean High School
Caroline Mayer, Vincent Struthers, Mia Nash, Stella Scannell, The Play That Goes Wrong, Langley High School
Stage Crew
Mia “Star” Halsey, Cooper Zissman, Samarra Belinsky, and the Anastasia Crew, Anastasia: the Musical, Alexandria City High School
The Kit Kat Club Stage Crew, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Sivani Vemuri, Madz Cramer, Zoe Tabor, Gauri Pillai, The Play That Goes Wrong, Langley High School
*Lena Thepvongsa, Callaghan Crofton, Amelia Loht, The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition), Centreville High School
Euni Kim, Miles Wilder, Ryan Franck, The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition), Wakefield School
Ensemble in a Play
*The Core Ensemble, A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
The Witches, Macbeth, West Springfield High School
Men on Boats, Men on Boats, McLean High School
The Puffs, Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at Certain School of Magic and Magic Young Wizard Edition, Westfield High School
The Ancestors, The Cherry Orchard, Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Ensemble in a Musical
The Kit Kat Club, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Agents, Catch Me If You Can, Quince Orchard High School
The T-Birds, Grease: School Version, Riverside High School
*The Washington Heights Community, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Evil Trio, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Yorktown High School
Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Play
Lua Songer-Johnson, A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
Aubrey Marrow, Amadeus, Meridian High School
Sasha Guerra, Jane Austen’s Emma, Bishop Ireton High School
Peyton Shuler, Peter and the Starcatcher, Robinson Secondary School
*Jahzira Watkins, The Cherry Orchard, Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Play
Cohen France, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Annandale High School
Elijah T. Williams, It’s a Wonderful Life, South County High School
Porter Friedl, Lend Me a Soprano, The New School of Northern VA
Noelle Brosnan, Peter and the Starcatcher, Robinson Secondary School
*Aayden Dickens, The Cherry Orchard, Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Musical
Hannah Moline, Anastasia: the Musical, Alexandria City High School
Sofia Terpak, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Penelope Baker, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Independence High School
*Addison Lim, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Lightridge High School
Mia Templeton, The Addams Family Musical: School Edition, Loudoun Valley High School
Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Musical
Xavier Walker, Alice By Heart, Bullis School
*Ailinn Colarulli, Anastasia: the Musical, Alexandria City High School
Ricky Matos Hernandez, In the Heights, Albert Einstein High School
Adrian Patiag, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Mauro Manganello, Something Rotten!, Fairfax High School
Dancer in a Female Role
Georgia Anderson, Anastasia: the Musical, Alexandria City High School
*Holland Hasle, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Marley Williams, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Charlotte Ouimet, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Independence High School
Charlotte Elliott, The Phantom of the Opera, Colgan High School
Dancer in a Male Role
John Poncy, Anything Goes, Oakton High School
Shepherd Moe, Chicago: Teen Edition, Potomac Falls High School
Jojo Smothers, Grease: School Version, Riverside High School
Carter Sotoye, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
*Nate Wheeler Smith, Something Rotten!, Fairfax High School
Vocalist in a Female Role
*Page Vogel, Anastasia: the Musical, Alexandria City High School
Elsa Harlor, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Alexa Gilligan, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Independence High School
Juliet Pascoe, Once Upon A Mattress, Mount Vernon High School
Nicoletta Theodora Pelekasis, Chicago: Teen Edition, Thomas A. Edison High School
Elizabeth Marshall, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Yorktown High School
Vocalist in a Male Role
Jackson Byrd, Chicago: Teen Edition, Thomas A. Edison High School
Krishnan Patel, Grease: School Version, Riverside High School
Abraham Perdomo Pacheco, Legally Blonde The Musical, Woodgrove High School
Colin Lee, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Yorktown High School
*Ryan Sawyer Robbins, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, Walt Whitman High School
Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Play
Kathleen Tran, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Annandale High School
*Cara Ethington, Arsenic and Old Lace, Herndon High School
Daphne Lunn, As You Like It, Chantilly High School
Sophie Grzadzinski, Lend Me a Soprano, The New School of Northern VA
Sophia Christiano, The Play That Goes Wrong, Langley High School
Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Play
Anderson Wexler, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School
Ben Harper, Macbeth, West Springfield High School
Zion Belmar-Francois, The Cherry Orchard, Duke Ellington School of the Arts
*Yann Lam, The Play That Goes Wrong, Langley High School
Patrick Reidway, The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition), Wakefield School
Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Musical
*Savannah Day, Anything Goes, Oakton High School
Savin Criddle, High School Musical, Clarksburg High School
Emma Edwards, Legally Blonde The Musical, Woodgrove High School
Maya Vilchik, The Phantom of the Opera, Colgan High School
Allie Blanchet, Zombie Prom, James Madison High School
Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Musical
Adrian Lawlor, Anastasia: the Musical, Alexandria City High School
*Timo Silberman, Catch Me If You Can, Quince Orchard High School
Cameron Best, Something Rotten!, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
Abby Landes, The Addams Family Musical: School Edition, Loudoun Valley High School
Jeremiah Gates, The Phantom of the Opera, Colgan High School
Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Play
*Lucy Baboyian, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Annandale High School
Arminé Heard, Lend Me a Soprano, The New School of Northern Virginia
Kira Gilligan, Peter and the Starcatcher, Robinson Secondary School
Juliah Perdue, The Cherry Orchard, Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Avery Messick, The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition), Wakefield School
Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Play
*Pascual Aguilar-Rodriguez, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Annandale High School
Will Albaugh, Amadeus, Meridian High School
Aashna Kapur, Men on Boats, McLean High School
Lukas Simcox, Peter and the Starcatcher, Robinson Secondary School
Aiden Brennan, Tartuffe: The Rhinestone Hypocrite: a world premiere of a very self-important play, Woodson High School
Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Musical
Katie Musick, Catch Me If You Can, Quince Orchard High School
Janiyah Jackson, In the Heights, Albert Einstein High School
*Aspen Johnson, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Laura Mlaker, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Lightridge High School
Marney Shattuck, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Yorktown High School
Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Musical
Prajeet Chitty, Anastasia: The Musical, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
*Romain Dairay, Anything Goes, Oakton High School
Kamdi Aghazu, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Jack Vosburgh, Legally Blonde The Musical, Woodgrove High School
Tristan Farmer, Something Rotten!, Fairfax High School
Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Play
Cecilia Marigliano, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Annandale High School
Sitina Tochterman, A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
Bree Drake, Peter and the Starcatcher, Robinson Secondary School
*Kayla Parker, The Cherry Orchard, Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Sydney White, The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition), Wakefield School
Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Play
*Liam Birch, A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
Mia Schatz, Amadeus, Meridian High School
Silas Blocker, Tartuffe: The Rhinestone Hypocrite: a world premiere of a very self-important play, Woodson High School
Tar’El Barnes, The Cherry Orchard, Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Landon Nilson, The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition), Wakefield School
Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Musical
Gabby Licayan, Anastasia: The Musical, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Meera Ayyar, Anything Goes, Oakton High School
*Murphy Finnegan, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Elsa Harlor, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Erin Rigby, The Phantom of the Opera, Colgan High School
Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Musical
Aaron Guerrero, Green Day’s American Idiot, Hayfield Secondary School
*Nathan Lee, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Myles Rathke, Catch Me If You Can, Quince Orchard High School
Elijah Flores, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Independence High School
Zayn Gruyters, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, Walt Whitman High School
Song
Stay, I Pray You, Anastasia: The Musical, Alexandria City High School
I Don’t Care Much, Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Fly, Fly Away, Catch Me If You Can, Quince Orchard High School
Paciencia y Fe, In the Heights, Albert Einstein High School
*96000, In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Critic Team
Centreville High School
McLean High School
Quince Orchard High School
West Springfield High School
*Westfield High School
Play
*A Monster Calls, South Lakes High School
Amadeus, Meridian High School
Men on Boats, McLean High School
The Cherry Orchard, Duke Ellington School of the Arts
The Play That Goes Wrong, Langley High School
The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition), Wakefield School
Musical
Anything Goes, Oakton High School
*Cabaret (1998 Version), Lake Braddock Secondary School
Catch Me If You Can, Quince Orchard High School
In the Heights, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Yorktown High School
The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, Walt Whitman High School
