Theatre Program Receives 14 Halo Award Nominations

Now in their 19th year, the Halo Awards celebrate the best in Connecticut high school theater. This year’s awards will be presented May 31, June 1 and 2 at a three-night, gala red carpet event at the Palace Theater in Waterbury. The Frederick Gunn School’s nominees will attend the awards ceremony on Thursday, June 2, at 7 p.m. Audrey Richards ’23 and Colin Hall ’24 will perform My Favorite Moment of the Bee in their respective roles as Olive Ostrovsky and William Barfée from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee live on stage at the event.

“To receive 14 nominations for two plays is fantastic, and I'm even more excited for the students involved in the productions. The nominations highlight the dedicated work of the students and the power of live theatre,” said Kent Burnham, who is wrapping up his first year as Director of Theatre Arts at Gunn, and ushered in the first live theatre productions at the school since the start of the global pandemic. In November, he directed the Connecticut premiere of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, based on the book by Kate DiCamillo, and adapted by Dwayne Hartford. In February, Burnham directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, with music and lyrics by William Finn, and book by Rachel Sheinkin. Both productions were presented in the Tisch Family Auditorium of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center.

Students from more than 80 public and private Connecticut high school theatre programs are honored each year through the HALO Awards, which are sponsored by Seven Angels Theatre. Congratulations to our nominees:

BEST COMIC MALE PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL
Alder Curry ’22 as Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

BEST COSTUME DESIGN AND/OR EXECUTION
Katherine Johnson ’25, Emily Nussbaumer ’22 and Bunny Borzilleri ’24 for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

BEST HAIR AND/OR MAKEUP DESIGN AND/OR EXECUTION
Natalie Perkins, Siena Taylor ’23 and Aryel Sealey ’25 for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN AND/OR EXECUTION
Joshua Ly ’23 and Logan Bell ’25 for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

BEST SCENIC DESIGN AND/OR EXECUTION
Natalie Perkins ’22, Siena Taylor ’23 and Aryel Sealey ’25 for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

BEST PROPS DESIGN AND/OR MANAGEMENT
Natalie Perkins ’22 and Aryel Sealey ’25 for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

BEST STAGE MANAGEMENT
Quinn Hedden ’23 (Production Stage Manager) for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

BEST INCIDENTAL OR ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY
Will Dyer ‘23 for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

BEST CHORUS
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN AN ENSEMBLE PRODUCTION
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

BEST MALE STANDOUT PERFORMANCE IN AN ENSEMBLE PRODUCTION
Alder Curry ’22 as Edward Tulane in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Liam Koval ‘22 as Chip in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

BEST FEMALE STANDOUT PERFORMANCE IN AN ENSEMBLE PRODUCTION
Audrey Richards ’23 as Pellegrina/Martin/Margory/Jack/Crow Pellegrina/Lydia Clarke for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

BEST MUSICAL
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

View photos from our 2021-22 theatre season in our SmugMug Galleries.