Young actors shone in the spotlight on Sunday as the 10th annual Teeny Awards were presented at Eastport-South Manor High School.
student Beau Riva won in both the Supporting Actor in a Comedy category for "Pygmalion" and the Set Design category for "Anything Goes." The Lead Actress in a Musical category had a tie, with Pierson's Emily Hinz being awarded for her role in "Anything Goes."
The Teeny Awards event, which featured a pre-show red carpet, was modeled after Broadway's Tony awards — which also aired on Sunday night — and celebrate excellence in high school theater across the East End. On-hand were emcee Bonnie Grice and , who presented a proclamation in honor of the event's 10th anniversary.
"I've loved being part of the tenth anniversary," said Morgan Vaughan, the Teeny Awards coordinator. "When I took this job, I knew I'd get involved with the process, I just didn't know how much. I really started to root for the students and get sort of addicted to seeing them really grow, change and stretch themselves."
Vaughan said one presenter, Matthew Libassi, who won for best actor the first year of the Teenys, is now a television producer at Fox News, "and can't say enough good things about what theater taught him."
Pat Snyder, the executive director of East End Arts, the group that organizes the Teenys, said the event was organized to call attention to the value of theater in developing well-rounded and confident young adults. "East End Arts is proud to have introduced this very special program that recognizes and applauds our talented students of the East End.”
The 2012 Teeny Awards winners are:
DRAMA
Lead Actor in a Drama
- Nick Motlenski, McGann-Mercy, The Glass Menagerie
Lead Actress in a Drama
- Kathryn Ryan, East Hampton, It’s a Wonderful Life
Supporting Actor in a Drama
- Yori Johnson, East Hampton, It’s a Wonderful Life
Supporting Actress in a Drama
- Allison Charde, East Hampton, It’s a Wonderful Life
COMEDY
Lead Actor in a Comedy
- Nick Motlenski, McGann-Mercy, Arsenic and Old Lace
Lead Actress in a Comedy
- Nicole Chiuchiolo, McGann-Mercy, Arsenic and Old Lace
Supporting Actor in a Comedy
- Beau Riva, Pierson, Pygmalion
Supporting Actress in a Comedy
- Kristen Suarez, Shoreham-Wading River, Brighton Beach Memoirs
MUSICAL
Lead Actor in a Musical
- Sam Kortchmar, Southold, Curtains
Lead Actress in a Musical - a Tie
- Emily Hinz, Pierson, Anything Goes
- Veronica Reitz, Mattituck, Leader of the Pack
Supporting Actor in a Musical
- Francesco Logozzo, Westhampton Beach, A Chorus Line
Supporting Actress in a Musical
- Catherine Fioriello, East Hampton, Anything Goes
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
This category was created to recognize a student who “shines brightly” in a role that is not eligible for adjudication in the leading or supporting categories.
- Jonathan Troiano, Riverhead, “Action” in West Side Story
JUDGES’ CHOICE AWARD
This award is chosen by vote for a particular scene, musical number, dance number, or group that the judges feel stands out enough to warrant special recognition. This year, the recipient is the cast and crew of Mattituck High School’s “Check, Please.”
CHOREOGRAPHY
- Marisa Fedele, Gayle Gammon, Winter Wilcenski, Southold, Curtains
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
- Westhampton Beach, A Chorus Line
STAGE MANAGER RECOGNITION
- Center Moriches, Scott McVetty, Jessica Oswalt and Carolyn Turkington, All Shook Up
- East Hampton, Nicole Miksinski and Ouutong Phooprasert, It’s a Wonderful Life and Anything Goes
- Eastport-South Manor, Paige Moeller and Jessica Sauerwald, West Side Story
- Greenport, Sean Walden, archy & mehitabel
- Hampton Bays, Amy Stangasser and Babette Paul, Bye Bye Birdie
- Mattituck, Kaylee Bergen and Kimberly Olsen, Leader of the Pack
- Mattituck, Maria Peroni and Julia Gaines, One Acts: The Rehearsal and Check, Please!
- McGann-Mercy, Stephanie Strippoli, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Glass Menagerie and Jekyll & Hyde
- Pierson, Emily Verneuille, Pygmalion
- Pierson, Emma Brannen, Shelly Matthers and Nick Dwoskin, Anything Goes
- Riverhead, Abigail Beodeker, Working and West Side Story
- Ross, Victoria Batista, One Acts
- Shoreham-Wading River, Mariah Brengel, Beauty and the Beast and Brighton Beach Memoirs
- Southampton, Skylar Borucke, West Side Story
- Southold, Jaclyn Conway, Curtains
- Westhampton Beach, Jenna Arcuri, Fools
SET DESIGN
- Beau Riva, Pierson, Anything Goes
PLAYBILL/POSTER ART
- Emily Gandalfo, Westhampton Beach, Fools
INNOVATIONS IN THEATRE EDUCATION
This award recognizes the efforts of a school that goes above and beyond to support exceptional theater arts education. This year, McGann-Mercy High School is being recognized for its addition of a third production during the school year devoted to serious drama by such playwrights as Tennessee Williams, Thornton Wilder, Edward Albee and Eugene O’Neill.
