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TheatreMcLean’s Men on Boats ended its run Feb. 15, leaving behind a dismantled set and packed-away costumes. But a May 5 announcement sent the cast and crew back to work: McLean High School had earned nine Cappies nominations.

The recognition covers performers, critics and technical crews. Julian Hassi was nominated for Rising Critic, while Micah Chlan and Hayden Schweikert received Graduating Critic nominations. Olivia Rosenfeld, Margaret Hughes and Katherine Hager were recognized for props, and Katherine Dailey was nominated for stage management.

Aashna Kapur earned a Supporting Actor in a Male Role nomination, and the Men on Boats cast was nominated for Ensemble in a Play. The production also received a Best Play nomination, TheatreMcLean’s first in that category since its 2023 production of Claudio Quest. The honor includes an opportunity to perform a scene at the Cappies Gala.

Senior Lila Binder, nominated as part of the ensemble, said she was eager to return to rehearsals after the cast’s hard work received recognition.

“It’s very exciting because I know we put so much effort into the show, and I’m very proud of everyone already,” Binder said. “We worked very hard and I definitely feel like we deserve the recognition that we got.”

A demanding production returns to rehearsal

Men on Boats featured an entirely non-male cast portraying male characters. Its fast-moving dialogue and intricate staging were especially demanding during the “rapids” sequences, which required precisely timed lines and synchronized movements from actors positioned in boats.

Binder said the cast prepared for those scenes by standing in a circle and running lines while directing energy toward the person speaking and the character being addressed.

“And it took a lot of time to get those scenes perfect,” she said.

The production’s props also required unusual solutions. The team used real food, including sausage, chicken and rice, as well as edible dead fish made by stuffing imitation fish with rice. Crew members also aged metal items themselves.

Senior Katherine Hager said containers used in the show needed to appear old and rusty. Instead of painting on the effect, she created actual rust through a chemical reaction involving vinegar, salt and hydrogen peroxide.

Hager, who was nominated with the props team, said the production pushed her to work more closely with the actors. It was her first show working on technical elements without also performing, and she sometimes lacked context for how particular props would be used.

“I usually am good with being very independent, but Men on Boats was actually much more of a collaborative effort for everyone,” she said.

Critics earn recognition of their own

TheatreMcLean also secured multiple nominations for students who serve as Cappies Critics, traveling to productions at other high schools, discussing the performances and writing reviews.

Chlan, a senior nominated for Graduating Critic, called the role one of his favorite parts of participating in theater. He said it has allowed him to visit schools across the DMV area and meet other Cappies members.

Chlan said the nomination surprised him because he had devoted much of his energy to other parts of theater. Still, he viewed it as evidence of his development as a writer.

He has served as a Cappies critic since his sophomore year and said his work has been published more frequently with each passing year.

“I feel accomplished for having something to show for all of the growth,” Chlan said.