Westwood High Students Honored for Theater Work

students Gaby DeNola and Cassidy Yotnakparian were recently honored by the Paper Mill Playhouse, a nonprofit theater group.

The Paper Mill Playhouse gives its Rising Star awards to high school students and teachers from around New Jersey. Yotnakparian is one of 15 finalists for the group's Student Achievement Award.

Donna Bialkin is a teacher at the high school and the director of the Woodington Players, the school's drama club. She has worked with both students and praised Yotnakparian's hard work and dedicaton.

"She did the jobs of four different people," Bialkin said, noting that Yotnakparian had worked as a publicist, producer and house manager for shows, as well as spending long hours learning the theater's lights to make sure the performances looked good.

"She's amazing," Bialkin said.

Bialkin also praised DeNola, who recently received an honorable mention from the Paper Mill Playhouse for her role as Little Sally in Urinetown: The Musical this spring.

"She works hard everyday and does a beautiful job," Bialkin said.

Both students were picked out of pools of schools around the state.

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