Erin Borain

The stakes have raised considerably for schools competing in the regional Shuler Hensley Awards for Musical Theater Excellence, administered through the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (TSOA) signed on as a sponsor of the parent National High School Musical Theater Awards. That organization brings regional winners from throughout the country to study for a week in New York and then to compete for astounding top prizes for the best actor and best actress winners:  “four-year scholarship assistance” to attend TSOA’S Department of Drama “upon acceptance into the program” (gotta get past NYU’s academic review first).

That’s a potential prize of up to a quarter of a million dollars. (The two actor winners also receive a $10,000 check each.)

So how can your school get on board? Register today to compete in the Shuler Hensley Awards. Instructions appear below.

Adrien Pellerin

Meanwhile, Georgia’s representatives this year were Erin Borain of Alpharetta High School and Adrien Pellerin of Atlanta International School. Erin’s starring role qualifying her for nationals was Miss Adelaide in Alpharetta High’s “Guys and Dolls.” Adrien played the Baker in the AIS production of “Into the Woods.” The two traveled to New York in June to participate in a week of training, rehearsals, auditions, culminating in the Jimmy Awards, named for legendary Broadway impresario Jimmy Nederlander.

Basic entry rules for the Shuler Awards:

• Open to “public or private high schools throughout the metropolitan Atlanta region” (call to see if your school qualifies)
• No entry fees
• Judging period is Sept. 1 through March 28, 2010.
• Deadline to enter is Dec. 18.
• Ceremony is at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on April 13, 2010.

Check out the complete rules and enter online at:

www.cobbenergycentre.com/high_school_musical_awards.aspx

For more on the national competition:  http://www.nhsmta.com/

For more on Shuler Hensley:  http://www.shulerhensley.com/default.htm

Welcome to the only blog dedicated to school theater in the state of Georgia. Our aim is to promote school theater while building bridges among our constituents around the state. If you are involved in school theater in any way – from actor to tech crew to director to parent volunteer – you have landed in the right place for news, accolades, tips, how-tos, and more. Your voice is needed, too. Submit guest articles, share stories, make suggestions. And above all, have fun.