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The 2025 Cappies National Capital Area nominations recognize student critics, performers, musicians and technical crews from high schools across the region. The nominees span individual honors, production work and top play and musical categories.

Student critics

Andy Mays Rising Critic: Erin Allen, Bishop Ireton High School; Julian Hassi, McLean High School; Alden Walcott, South Lakes High School; Bonna Koo, Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology; Iris Cooper, Westfield High School.

Maryland Theater Guide Returning Critic: Mary Campbell, Westfield High School; Emily Reisman, McLean High School; Christine Dang, Lake Braddock High School; Madelyn Regan, Centreville High School; Julie Kessel, Albert Einstein High School.

Bill Strauss Graduating Critic: Cecelia Meza and Ellen Lawton, Herndon High School; Josephin Friedrich, Langley High School; Clare Shacochis, Oakton High School; Iza Piatkowski, Woodgrove High School.

Technical and production honors

Marketing and Publicity: Xander Bush, Zoe Carter, Caty Jewell and Iza Piatkowski, Woodgrove High School, Mamma Mia!; Anusha Krishnan, Arsema Kelkay and the Westfield Publicity Team, Westfield High School, The Sound of Music; Chance McGill, Kaitlyn Lanigan and Megan Sawyer, Riverside High School, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — High School Edition; Kat Pascual, Libby Hansen, Olive Webster and Devin Linthicum, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing; the PR & Marketing Team, South Lakes High School, Once Upon a Mattress.

Special Effects and/or Technology: Nawal Abib, Cindy Ayala, Fama Gueye and Nariah S. Martin, Riverside High School, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — High School Edition; Peyton Morales and a Certain Special Effects Crew, West Springfield High School, Puffs: Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic; Alex Hall, Drew Hall and Ethan Jones, McLean High School, Amelie; Bella Molino, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Anabelle Perez-Caban and Henry Green, Woodson High School, Lear by William Shakespeare.

Hair and Make-up: Mary Frances Dempsey, Cassidy Greenwalt, Peyton Olsen and Vivi Parsons, Yorktown High School, Anything Goes; Juliana Esen, Vin Watts, Amelia Underwood and Kiara Valerio-De Dios, Falls Church High School, The Addams Family; Lila Halleran, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Isabelle Philippe, Jade Mattei and the Mattress Hair and Makeup Team, South Lakes High School, Once Upon a Mattress; Agustin Anello Quiroga and Chloe Kang, Robinson Secondary School, Tuck Everlasting.

Sound: Madison Eismeier, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Kenrick Philpott, Leo Deangelo and Chase Chapman, Colgan High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition; Tobey Phinney and Kiran Kane, Justice High School, Almost, Maine; Wil Shank, Loudoun Valley High School, Peter and the Starcatcher; Virginia Williams, Rain Medrano and Lynn Milkiewicz, Herndon High School, MACBETH.

Props: Aubrey Astore, Margaret Hughes, Liv Rosenfeld and Emerson Thiebert, McLean High School, Amelie; August Carr, Caleb Hayes, Teddy Seylar and August Yates, Wakefield High School, Little Shop of Horrors; Caroline Cochran, Cameron Filson, Eva Klinker and Victoria Reyes, Oakton High School, Into the Woods; Leah Rajnik, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Fiona Raymer, Jasmine Hamilton and Kaleigh Rosania, Annandale High School, Little Shop of Horrors.

Lighting: Macie Brooks and Sam Cole, Chantilly High School, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical; Katie Eagan, Zaya Economides and CC Mucker, Robinson Secondary School, Tuck Everlasting; ITPA Lighting Team, Independence High School, Once Upon a One More Time (High School Version); William Waugh, Kareena Kasperowski and Natalie Mitchell, South County High School, A Chorus Line: Teen Edition; Rebecca Weingast, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women.

Costumes: Cassidy Greenwalt, Peyton Olsen and Vivi Parsons, Yorktown High School, Anything Goes; Nathaniel Howard, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Audrey Ihde, Amelie Hatfield and the Costume Team, Oakton High School, Into the Woods; Amalia Manow, Katy Nguyen, Cricket Nicholls and the Woodson Costumes Team, Woodson High School, Lear by William Shakespeare; Iona McCluskey, Catherine Carow, Nancy McDougal and the BITA Costuming Team, Bishop Ireton, Guys and Dolls.

Sets: Charlie Fink, Allyson Pikul, Iris Nijbroek, Allison Rigsbee and the Dramahawks Set Crew, Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You; Eliot Hettler, Amelia Haid, Isabel Suk and the Set Team, Oakton High School, Into the Woods; Kinsey Lin, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Chloe Lupo, Rachael Shore and the Westfield Set Team, Westfield High School, The Sound of Music; Anna Wisneski, Owen Penrose, Caroline Reams and the BITA Design Team, Bishop Ireton, Guys and Dolls.

Orchestra: The Hadestown Band, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes, Hadestown: Teen Edition; Crazy for You Orchestra, Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You; South County A Chorus Line Pit Orchestra, South County High School, A Chorus Line: Teen Edition; Yorktown Pit Orchestra, Yorktown High School, Anything Goes; Oakton High School Pit, Oakton High School, Into the Woods.

Choreography: Caty Jewell, Maggie Bugaj, Aurora Schriver and Jordan Smith, Woodgrove High School, Mamma Mia!; Katie Johnson and Lexi Stattel, James Madison High School, Mean Girls High School Version; Mary Clare Pelczynski and Sam Wolff, Chantilly High School, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical; Ava Taylor, Josie Sinniger and Karen Board, Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You; Sitina Tochterman, Jahlil Greene and Hudson Koonce, South Lakes High School, Once Upon a Mattress.

Creativity: Charlotte Keshap and Alice Aramendia for direction, H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, Uncle Vanya; Aiden Harper, Sol Modell and Duke Crespin for musicianship, Meridian High School, A Midsummer Night’s Dream-ish; Emmett Justice and Scout Gould for composition, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, The Laramie Project; Warner Smith for dramaturgy, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Abeni Smith, Thomas Gay and the TJTA Dramaturgy Team for dramaturgy, Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology, Big Fish School Edition.

Stage Management: Jasmine Downing, Evan Slider, Natalie Lanter and Maya Wade, South County High School, A Chorus Line: Teen Edition; Lily Sarfaraz, Mimi Wise and the GCTC SM Team, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Urinetown; Allie Vargo and Katherine Dailey, McLean High School, Amelie; Hailey Vuong, Riley Russian, Emily Schmitt and Harry Dunick, Colgan High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition; Raymond Walker, Izzy Manicone and Amber Zhu, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing.

Stage Crew: Gabe Acquavella, Jordi Tyler and the Messina Resort Staff, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing; Dramahawks Run Crew, Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You; the Riverside Stage Crew, Riverside High School, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — High School Edition; the GCTC Run Crew, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Urinetown; a Certain Run Crew, West Springfield High School, Puffs: Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.

Ensembles and performers

Ensemble in a Play: The Chorus, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; the Weird Sisters and the Drumming Divinations, Walt Whitman High School, Macbeth; Citizens of Laramie, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, The Laramie Project; the Rude Mechanicals, Meridian High School, A Midsummer Night’s Dream-ish; Dogberry’s Watch, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing.

Ensemble in a Musical: The Final 17, South County High School, A Chorus Line: Teen Edition; Reno and her Angels, Yorktown High School, Anything Goes; the “Poor” Ensemble, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Urinetown; the Fates, Colgan High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition; the Follies, Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You.

Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Ajyah Ford, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, The Laramie Project; Michelle Harris, Riverside High School, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — High School Edition; Ashley Kennedy, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Ellen Lawton, Herndon High School, MACBETH; Marli Palchik, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing.

Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Play: Zerabruck Haile, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, The Laramie Project; Tony Hillary, West Springfield High School, Puffs: Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic; Marshall Vogel-Rogers, Meridian High School, A Midsummer Night’s Dream-ish; Noah McGuire, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Krishnan Patel, Riverside High School, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — High School Edition.

Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Musical: Gabriel Ayala, Oakton High School, Into the Woods; Angelina Kaminsky, Wakefield High School, Little Shop of Horrors; Francesca Klesius, Yorktown High School, Anything Goes; Grace Shaffer, Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology, Big Fish School Edition; Amaris Stokes, South County High School, A Chorus Line: Teen Edition.

Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Musical: Matthew Aslaksen, Yorktown High School, Anything Goes; Rigley Mostafavi, Oakton High School, Into the Woods; Jack Rodstrom, James Madison High School, Mean Girls High School Version; Ella Tysse, Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology, Big Fish School Edition; Nico Velasco-Kent, Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You.

Dancer in a Female Role: Cassie DellaVedova, South County High School, A Chorus Line: Teen Edition; Caty Jewell, Woodgrove High School, Mamma Mia!; Nealah Malmstrom, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Urinetown; Ava Taylor, Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You; Hope Titus, McLean High School, Amelie.

Dancer in a Male Role: Kamdi Aghazu, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Urinetown; Isiah Alston-Gambrell, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, The Laramie Project; Iskandar Aoun, Robinson Secondary School, Tuck Everlasting; Nate Kauffman, Quince Orchard High School, Mamma Mia!; Hudson Koonce, South Lakes High School, Once Upon a Mattress.

Vocalist in a Female Role: Lea Ahrens, South County High School, A Chorus Line: Teen Edition; Lilli McNerney, Westfield High School, The Sound of Music; Angela R. Fuentes Quinteros, Annandale High School, Little Shop of Horrors; Itsuko Scoville, South Lakes High School, Once Upon a Mattress; Josie Sinniger, Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You.

Vocalist in a Male Role: Nate Borrowman, James Madison High School, Mean Girls High School Version; Prajeet Chitty, Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology, Big Fish School Edition; Donovan Furey, Bishop Ireton, Guys and Dolls; Andrew Serrano-Bremer, Colgan High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition; Zachary Ulman, Langley High School, Beauty and the Beast.

Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Emma Carr, West Springfield High School, Puffs: Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic; Juliana Gurrola, Woodson High School, Lear by William Shakespeare; Kaitlyn Lanigan, Riverside High School, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — High School Edition; Eudora Neal, Meridian High School, A Midsummer Night’s Dream-ish; Lydia Wester, Clarksburg High School, Much Ado About Nothing.

Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Play: Alex Fulgham, Meridian High School, A Midsummer Night’s Dream-ish; Ben Harper, West Springfield High School, Puffs: Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic; Mekhi Lee, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, The Laramie Project; Mauro Manganello, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing; Jojo Smothers, Riverside High School, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — High School Edition.

Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Musical: Scarlett Anthony, Westfield High School, The Sound of Music; Savannah Day, Oakton High School, Into the Woods; Kira Gilligan, Robinson Secondary School, Tuck Everlasting; Grace Rodstrom, James Madison High School, Mean Girls High School Version; Sasha Wendell, Falls Church High School, The Addams Family.

Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Musical: Noelle Brosnan, Robinson Secondary School, Tuck Everlasting; Marcello Canniff, Annandale High School, Little Shop of Horrors; Romain Dairay, Oakton High School, Into the Woods; Chase Danzenbaker, Independence High School, Once Upon a One More Time (High School Version); Syd DeWitt, Wakefield High School, Little Shop of Horrors.

Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Holland Hasle, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Sofi Hemmens, Justice High School, Almost, Maine; Ambriah Jenkins, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, The Laramie Project; Kathryn Whitis, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing; Sophia Wiegold, Thomas A. Edison High School, Peter Pan and Wendy.

Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Play: Aiden Brennan, Woodson High School, Lear by William Shakespeare; Ben Demase, Loudoun Valley High School, Peter and the Starcatcher; Jack Kreul, Meridian High School, A Midsummer Night’s Dream-ish; Nataline Phillips, West Springfield High School, Puffs: Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic; Nate Wheeler Smith, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing.

Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Musical: Giovana Abdo, Oakton High School, Into the Woods; Ella Brown, Robinson Secondary School, Tuck Everlasting; Gwyneth Kemeny, James Madison High School, Mean Girls High School Version; Allison Payne, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Urinetown; Mariam Trigui, Colgan High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition.

Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Musical: David Garcia, Chantilly High School, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical; Jeremiah Gates, Colgan High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition; Alex Valencic, McLean High School, Amelie; Drew Wright, Yorktown High School, Anything Goes; Aden Wright, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes, Hadestown: Teen Edition.

Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Nora Blythe, Herndon High School, MACBETH; Murphy Finnegan, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Anna Murray, Walt Whitman High School, Macbeth; Kat Pascual, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing; Charlotte Willmore, Woodson High School, Lear by William Shakespeare.

Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Play: Bo Chatterjee, Herndon High School, MACBETH; Isaac Frenza, Fairfax High School, Much Ado About Nothing; Jeffrey Henderson, Riverside High School, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — High School Edition; Nathaniel Howard, Lake Braddock Secondary School, The Trojan Women; Hugo Ratheau, Meridian High School, A Midsummer Night’s Dream-ish.

Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Musical: Cam Carter, Colgan High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition; Camille Dausch, Chantilly High School, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical; Elsa Harlor, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Urinetown; Bella Houston, Yorktown High School, Anything Goes; Clara Neag, South Lakes High School, Once Upon a Mattress.

Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Musical: Aquilles Ailus, Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You; Colt Armstrong, Falls Church High School, The Addams Family; August Carr, Wakefield High School, Little Shop of Horrors; Nathaniel Dosen, Annandale High School, Little Shop of Horrors; Seger Ott-Rudolph, Albert Einstein High School, The Secret Garden.

Songs, critic teams and productions

Song: “No One is Alone,” Oakton High School, Into the Woods; “Anything Goes,” Yorktown High School, Anything Goes; “Wait For Me,” Colgan High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition; “I Got Rhythm,” Hayfield Secondary School, Crazy for You; “Run, Freedom, Run!,” Our Lady of Good Counsel, Urinetown.

Critic Team: Centreville High School; Langley High School; Oakton High School; South Lakes High School; Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology.

Play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream-ish, Meridian High School; Puffs: Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, West Springfield High School; MACBETH, Herndon High School; Much Ado About Nothing, Fairfax High School; The Laramie Project, Duke Ellington School of the Arts; The Trojan Women, Lake Braddock Secondary School.

Musical: Hadestown: Teen Edition, Colgan High School; Anything Goes, Yorktown High School; Into the Woods, Oakton High School; Once Upon a Mattress, South Lakes High School; Urinetown, Our Lady of Good Counsel; Crazy for You, Hayfield Secondary School.