In late April, the entire cast and crew of Amadeus received exciting news: they had won five ESAG awards, including “Best Overall Production.” They were informed of their nominations for these prestigious awards a month prior, and ultimately won every single category they were nominated for.
The Eastern Student Artist Guild (ESAG) Awards honor non-musical high school theater productions in the Lower Hudson Valley area, celebrating the talents of student performers, designers, and educators – much like the Tonys for local high schools. Sixteen productions were honored at the ceremony, which was held at Iona University. Directors gave speeches, actors performed monologues, and student achievements were honored.
Abby Clark (Crew Chief) and Cadin Lappin (Scenic Designer), along with the entire BHS build crew won the award for “Best Scenic Design.” Set in Vienna during the 1700s, Amadeus is a complex show that delves into the destructive power of envy, faith, and the struggle between mediocrity and genius. It’s centered around the relationship between Antonio Salieri and Amadeus Mozart, two renowned composers with an intense rivalry due to Salieri’s jealousy. The various settings of the show, ranging from parlors to opera houses, required great creativity from the set’s designers. Cadin explained that the most challenging aspect of building Amadeus’s set was “achieving the classic ambiance” of the 1700s while designing a “mobile and versatile” set. Director Alex Siriani shared his vision with the Crew Chief and Scenic Designers before finalizing the design with the school’s set carpenter. The crew then spent months building the intricate set. “We started building the set of Amadeus the first week of school, and were honestly working on it until opening night,” said Abby. The set, with its various mobile components and unique stylization, was absolutely fantastic. Details such as the faux-footlights, paper-mâché seven-foot-tall pillars, and (my personal favorite) the painted music notes decorating the stairs of the set impressed audiences. This incredible set was made possible by the hard work and dedication of every crew member, all of whom truly deserve the recognition received at the ESAG Awards. Crew Chief Abby Clark, a committed and talented senior, expressed gratitude for the crew of Amadeus, saying they “ran into a lot of roadblocks, but kept trying and made an amazing set!” Leaving a lasting mark on the theater program, Abby’s contributions to crew will be greatly missed. After graduation, Abby plans to study at UNH and hopes to join the marching band to keep a love of the performing arts alive.
Arianna Arocho (Constanze Mozart) and Zachary Simmons (Amadeus Mozart) were both recognized for their roles as “Best Supporting Actors.” Portraying Mozart’s wife, Arianna mastered a demanding role that showcased her versatility. Amadeus is a difficult show with complex subject matter, but Ari shined each time she stepped foot onstage, wowing the audience with a range of playful and intense scenes. As many know, Arianna also has a great passion for singing, and she unfortunately was unable to attend the ESAG Awards Ceremony due to her involvement in Archbishop Stepinac High School’s production of The Wiz. Ari plans to pursue a career in the arts, and will be attending Emerson College in Boston to share her talents. Ari’s onstage husband, Zachary Simmons, won for his impressive portrayal of Amadeus Mozart. Zach has a passion for performance, throwing himself into each character he plays. In Amadeus, Mozart experiences an extreme mental and physical decline, which Zach portrayed flawlessly. Zach greatly enjoys “character development,” and he did an extensive amount of research to play Mozart, analyzing “big moments that would have impacted” the composer in order to better understand his demeanor. Zach will continue performing at Western Connecticut State University, where he plans to obtain a BFA in Musical Theater in the coming years. His talents are numerous, and his love of theater is apparent throughout each of his performances.
Kate Sullivan received an ESAG Award for “Best Actor in a Drama” after her gripping performance as Antonio Salieri, the play’s complex antagonist. There is no way to describe Kate’s performance other than truly captivating. She practically memorized an entire book to play the role, a daunting task that she took on after feeling an “immediate connection” to Salieri’s inner turmoil. Watching her onstage was incredible, as she awed audiences with her ability to powerfully display Salieri’s intense and varying emotions with ease. At the ESAG Awards Ceremony, Kate performed a monologue from the play, which she carefully picked with the help of her director. She explained, “Since closing night back in November, I had been desperate to experience playing Salieri for a few minutes more.” When the opportunity arose, Kate picked a monologue that expressed “the joy and love Saleri had for music,” while expressing his “deep pain and fear” at being “less talented than Mozart.” Kate was overjoyed at the opportunity to once again play a character that she said “changed the trajectory of her life.” Her performance was a powerful testament to her talent, passion, and dedication to acting.
Finally, the entire cast and crew of Amadeus was recognized with the “Overall Best Production” award. The members of this play delivered a visually and emotionally stunning show. It was amazing to watch the unique and beautiful set adapt to various scenes, and view countless impressive performances. Tessa Boissonnault, the Stage Manager, said it was incredible to see the team “grow and perfect” the challenging show. She was “so proud of the whole cast and crew for their hard work” after their first successful show. Tessa’s strong leadership, alongside Theo Torres, the show’s hardworking and knowledgeable Student Director, undoubtedly helped make this production a reality. It was a pleasure to watch Amadeus’s talented cast and crew develop the show, and their commitment and talent truly earned them this recognition.