Way back in November, our theater department put on a spectacular production of Clue, the stage adaptation of the cult classic movie and family board game. The show was a hit in the Brewster community, drawing in huge crowds each night and being one of the most popular fall productions the district has put on in years. Due to its success, it’s no shock that it has been nominated for multiple awards through the Eastern Student Artist Guild (ESAG).
Founded in 2024, the ESAG awards honors students that put on productions not containing music that are performed for audiences of more than twenty people. To be eligible for awards, schools submit a written recommendation, video footage, and production images, which are then assessed by professionals. There are four levels to the awards, with the lowest being Bronze, then Silver, Gold, and the highest, Gold with Recognition. There are over thirty schools participating, from lower New York and even into New Jersey. All nominated schools are invited to attend an in-person ceremony, which the cast and crew attended at Tarrytown Music Hall on Monday, April 20th. Schools are evaluated on individual performances, ensemble performance, student directing, stage management, student producing, lighting, costume design, scenic design, sound effects, and overall production.
Our phenomenal cast and crew did not disappoint when it comes to awards: receiving six awards, all Gold with Recognition, the highest honor of the night. The fall props team received a nomination for their incredible work creating detailed pieces for the show, the Prop Design award went to Devyn Hoahing, Brianna Reyna, Ashley Quezada, and Elena Zagajewski. It’s no shock that the intricate mansion set also caught the attention of the ESAG committee, designed and built by Tony Kimble, Alexis Orwick, Sophia Negro, and Izzy Russo. Our hardworking crew also received the Student Crew award for their dedication to this production that made the whole show possible. This show relied so heavily on sound effects to bring together scenes, which earned our tech team their own award for Sound Design, awarded to Nicholas Mennella, Sean Condon, and Austin Simmons. Two awards went to the cast for ensemble performance in a comedy and overall production of a comedy, honoring the hard work and collaboration that goes into putting on such a difficult show.
All schools that receive nominations for individual acting performance or overall production at the Gold with Recognition level are invited to perform a short scene at the ceremony, which allows many students to showcase their talents to actors and directors from other schools. The cast of Clue performed a short scene from the end of the show, where Mr. Green reveals the secrets and murder motives of the other guests. Although some things had to be cut to meet the strict time limit of the ceremony, the performance went smoothly and seemed to be a hit at the ceremony. The scene featured Kate Sullivan, Miguel Suarez, Lillian Joscelyn, Sky Corradino, Morgan Vaughn, and Solomon Bettcher, which was most of the main cast of characters.
With a second successful year at the ESAG awards, we’ll just have to wait and see if the next fall production will follow in the footsteps of Amadeus and Clue and leave a lasting impact on the surrounding theater community.
