Photo Flash: CRT Announces 2014 Pavilion Award Winners

The winners for the twelfth annual Cortland Repertory Theatre "Pavilion Awards" were announced on Monday, June 9, at the national historic Little York Pavilion, home to CRT. The awards, sponsored by First Niagara Bank, recognize outstanding achievement in local high school theatre during the 2013-14 school year. Scroll down for photos of the winners!

Trophies were presented to the winners in a ceremony hosted by Producing Artistic Director Kerby Thompson and Assistant Director Jim Bumgardner. Presenters included cast members and tech staff of CRT's first production of the summer season "Boeing Boeing". Each of the six nominated high schools that produced musicals - Cortland, Dryden, Groton, Homer, McGraw and Tully - performed a musical number from their production.

First Niagara Bank representative Sandy Sampson spoke on behalf of the corporate sponsor, acknowledging the work that the students and teachers accomplished over the year. Before the ceremony, the CRT Board and Guild hosted a reception downstairs in the Pavilion, where photos were taken of all the nominees in each category.

The student and production recipients of the awards are as following:

Best Musical: Guys and Dolls (Homer)

Best Play: King Lear (Homer)

Visual Musical Ensemble: Tarzan (Tully)

Vocal Musical Ensemble: Guys and Dolls (Homer)

Play Ensemble: King Lear (Homer)

Lead Actor in a Musical: David Perfetti (Homer)

Lead Actor in a Play: Erik Gustafson (Homer)

Lead Actress in a Musical: Margaret Hoeschele (Cortland)

Lead Actress in a Play: (tie): Samantha Anderson (Homer) and Madalyn Luke (Tully)

Supporting Actor in a Musical: Cameron Hass (Groton)

Supporting Actor in a Play: David Perfetti (Homer)

Supporting Actress in a Musical: Helena Rankin (Groton)

Supporting Actress in a Play: Liz Redenback (Homer)

Featured Actor in a Musical: Kenny Tallman (Groton)

Featured Actor in a Play: David Fuller (Homer)

Featured Actress in a Musical: Brooke Jackson (Groton)

Featured Actress in a Play: Kiara Lee (Tully)

Technical Achievement: Kiara Lee (Tully)

Theatre-As-Education Awards: Tarzan (Tully)

"Rising Star" Award, recognizing students who are not yet in high school: Payton Wolf (Tully: Tarzan)

Scholarships, for students continuing their education in the performing arts: Drew Deal (Tully) and Margaret Hoeschele (Cortland).

Student Written One-Act Play: "The Thirteenth Wish" by Katie Musci and Rhianna Eleck (Cortland)

"Most Valuable Player" Awards, voted by the students themselves, a winner from each production: Faye Knibkin (Cortland:One-Act Play Festival), Connor Beattie (Cortland: Clockwork), Emma Cleary (Cortland: Oklahoma!), Abigail Adams (Dryden: The Music Man), Kenny Tallman (Groton: Beauty and the Beast), Homer: Erik Gustafson (Homer: King Lear), Rachel McNeil (Homer:Guys and Dolls), Hilary Dwyer (McGraw: The King and I), Madalyn Luke (Tully: Girls of the Garden Club), and Drew Deal (Tully:Tarzan)

Special Recognition: to select graduating seniors who have shown outstanding support and dedication to their high school theatre programs: Drew Deal (Tully) and Hilary Dwyer (McGraw).

Also, for recognition on his retirement and his long standing passion for high school theatre, Bill Lee from Cortland High School was recognized by having a seat in the Pavilion named in his honor. Lee, a teacher for 30 years, taught a play writing class and produced the Student Written One-Act Play Festival for 15 years.