Jamie Lammers, Nederland. In 2020, the Nederland Middle-Senior High School Music and Theater Awards were supposed to change format. Before then, the awards ceremony had been held as a separate event toward the end of the school year. For the 2019-2020 school year, music and theater director Elizabeth Evans wanted to incorporate the awards into the final choir concert of the year, allowing for multiple celebrations in one night. Unfortunately, the concert was cancelled, along with the awards ceremony, after Covid-19 restrictions were in place. 

Of course, students still received awards for their performances even without a ceremony. For the fall plays of 2019, Liesl Nunemacher won Actor in a Female Role for her debut performance as the lead in the high school comedy The Education of Janet O’Malley. In addition, three students won for their performances in the dystopian after-war show The Children’s Story – Noah Turner for Actor in a Male Role, Mateo Beauvineau for Supporting Actor in a Male Role, and Hadley Zotti for Supporting Actor in a Female Role. 

For the unfortunately cancelled spring 2020 performance of the satirical musical Urinetown, Jamie Lammers won Actor in a Male Role, Ellie Brewer won Actor in a Female Role, Lucy Schalz won Supporting Actor in a Male Role, and Meagan Figgins and Ande Hammers won Supporting Actor in a Female Role. 

Xoli Hatwan won Outstanding Tech Director and Stage Manager, Zach Weiner won Technician of the Year, Ely Nitsch won the Costume Award, and Blue Garcia-Paine won the Dance Award for their hard work in the musical. Skylar Abookire won the Ready, Willing, and Able Award for her excitement towards the material, Cooper Nielsen won the Teachable and Adaptable Award for his dedication to improving his acting and singing in his debut musical role, Sydney Mayhew won the Oh, What A Character! Award for her work on her individual character, and Townes Bakke and Rowan Harper won the Best Ensemble Award for their incredible camaraderie, particularly in their duo number “The Cop Song.”

Because the ceremony itself was cancelled, the winners of each award received their trophies separately, with the seniors receiving theirs in a box of awards and certificates during graduation. However, in 2021 the ceremony was able to take place during a physical choir concert, the final concert of the year. For the fall plays of the 2020 season, instead of giving a general actor award that nominates every actor from every play, a winner for Best Actor was given for each of the individual plays. Meagan Figgins won for her performance in The New Margo, Ande Hammers won for The Final Rose, Alex Berumen-Gonzalez won for The Canterville Ghost, and Skylar Abookire won for Sorry, Wrong Number. 

The 2021 musical awards for Grease were also awarded during the choir concert. Ben Nichols won Best Actor, Meagan Figgins and Alex Berumen-Gonzalez both won for Best Actress, Noah Turner won Best Supporting Actor, and Ande Hammers won Best Supporting Actress. Zach Weiner and Ely Nitsch won in their second year in a row for Outstanding Technician and Outstanding Costuming, respectively. Lucy Schalz received recognition for being the dance captain, Natalie Taylor won Outstanding Stage Manager, Townes Bakke won the Dance Award, Kyler Raybourne won the Teachable and Adaptable Award, Sydney Mayhew won the Ready, Willing, and Able Award, Skylar Abookire won the Oh, What A Character! Award, and every cast member won for Best Ensemble.

Along with that, individuals were recognized for their achievements as thespians. In 2020, multiple students were acknowledged for receiving Excellent or Superior ratings for performances at the Colorado Thespian Conference in December, 2019. Marguerite Bradley, Jamie Lammers, and Natalie Taylor received Excellent ratings for their solo musical theater performances, and Townes Bakke & Rowan Harper received Excellent ratings for their short film. Alexandra-Berumen Gonzalez, Hadley Zotti, Marguerite Bradley, and Ellie Brewer received Superior ratings for solo performances; Gonzalez and Zotti for monologues; and Bradley and Brewer for musical theater performances. Meagan Figgins and Ellie Brewer also received Superior ratings for a duo scene performance. 

In 2021, students were recognized for performances at the Thespian Conference in December, 2020. Alex Berumen-Gonzalez received Superior ratings for a solo monologue, Skylar Abookire received Superior ratings for a solo musical performance, Meagan Figgins and Alex Berumen-Gonzalez received Excellent ratings for a duo musical performance, and Townes Bakke and Rowan Harper received Excellent ratings for a short film.

Finally, students were recognized for their achievements in choir and in theater participation. In 2020, Jamie Lammers, Ellie Brewer, and Hadley Zotti received Outstanding Senior Musician Awards, and Jamie Lammers and Ellie Brewer received the National Choral Award. In 2021, Sydney Mayhew, Meagan Figgins, and Aspen Abel received Outstanding Senior Musician Awards, and Sydney Mayhew and Meagan Figgins received the National Choral Award. 

In 2021, Morgan Lake, Aya Pelkhum-Donahue, Dean Howell, Alex Jaffe, Opal Kinnikin, and Blue Garcia-Paine received enough thespian points to be inducted into the International Thespian Festival. Honor Thespians were also recognized: Ande Hammers, Ivy Brundege, Annabel Ivey, Noah Turner, Sydney Mayhew, Ben Nichols, Mia Milwicz-Clanton, Zach Weiner, Lucy Schalz, Natalie Taylor, Skylar Abookire, Ely Nitsch, Alex Berumen-Gonzalez, Townes Bakke, Rowan Harper, and Meagan Figgins.

Despite the difficulties resulting from Covid regulations, the students at NMSHS have clearly been hard at work to allow the continuation of the choir and theater program. With the help of community members, parents of students, and co-directors such as choreographers Ki Goodman and Mallorie Knight, assistant director Susan Blurton, and technical director Mark Mabbett, passion for theater at NMSHS has only increased. Once students are allowed to perform in theater and choir without facemasks again, their excitement will only continue to grow under the leadership of Elizabeth Evans.

(Originally published in the June 3, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)