Southold, Mattituck Student Actors Win at Teeny Awards

Young actors shone in the spotlight on Sunday as the tenth annual Teeny Awards were presented at Eastport-South Manor High School.

McGann-Mercy took home some top honors, including Best Actor in a Drama, won by Nick Motlenski for "The Glass Menagerie." Motlenski also took home the trophy for Lead Actor in a Comedy for "Arsenic and Old Lace;" McGann-Mercy's Nicole Chiuchiolo won Lead Actress  in a Comedy for "Arsenic and Old Lace."

The Teeny Awards event, which featured a pre-show red carpet,  was modeled after Broadway's Tony awards -- which also aired on Sunday night -- and celebrate excellence in high school theater across the East End. Onhand were emcee Bonnie Grice and New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, who presented a proclamation in honor of the event's tenth annivesary.

"I've loved being part of the tenth anniversary," said Morgan Vaughan, Teeny Awards coordinator. "When I took this job, I knew I'd get involved with the process, I just didn't know how much. I really started to root for the students and get sort of addicted to seeing them really grow, change and stretch themselves."

Vaughan said one presenter, Matthew Libassi, who won for best actor the first year of the Teenys, is now a television producer at Fox News, "and can't say enough good things about what theatre taught him." 

Pat Snyder, executive director of East End Arts, the group that organizes the Teenys, said the event was organized to call attention to the value of theatre in developing well-rounded and confident young adults. "East End Arts is proud to have introduced this very special program that recognizes and applauds our talented students of the East End.”

The 2012 Teeny Awards winners are:

DRAMA

Lead Actor in a Drama

Nick Motlenski, McGann-Mercy, The Glass Menagerie

Lead Actress in a Drama

Kathryn Ryan, East Hampton, It’s a Wonderful Life

Supporting Actor in a Drama

Yori Johnson, East Hampton, It’s a Wonderful Life

Supporting Actress in a Drama

Allison Charde, East Hampton, It’s a Wonderful Life

COMEDY

Lead Actor in a Comedy

Nick Motlenski, McGann-Mercy, Arsenic and Old Lace

Lead Actress in a Comedy

Nicole Chiuchiolo, McGann-Mercy, Arsenic and Old Lace

Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Beau Riva, Pierson, Pygmalion

Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Kristen Suarez, Shoreham-Wading River, Brighton Beach Memoirs

MUSICAL

Lead Actor in a Musical

Sam Kortchmar, Southold, Curtains

Lead Actress in a Musical - A Tie

Emily Hinz, Pierson, Anything Goes

Veronica Reitz, Mattituck, Leader of the Pack

Supporting Actor in a Musical

Francesco Logozzo, Westhampton Beach, A Chorus Line

Supporting Actress in a Musical

Catherine Fioriello, East Hampton, Anything Goes

 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE

This category was created to recognize a student who “shines brightly” in a role that is not eligible for adjudication in the leading or supporting categories.

Jonathan Troiano, Riverhead, “Action” in West Side Story

JUDGES’ CHOICE AWARD

This award is chosen by vote for a particular scene, musical number, dance number, or group that the judges feel stands out enough to warrant special recognition. This year, the recipient is the cast and crew of Mattituck High School’s “Check, Please.”

CHOREOGRAPHY

Marisa Fedele, Gayle Gammon, Winter Wilcenski, Southold, Curtains

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE 

Westhampton Beach, A Chorus Line

STAGE MANAGER RECOGNITION

Center Moriches, Scott McVetty, Jessica Oswalt and Carolyn Turkington, All Shook Up

East Hampton, Nicole Miksinski and Ouutong Phooprasert, It’s a Wonderful Life and Anything Goes

Eastport-South Manor, Paige Moeller and Jessica Sauerwald, West Side Story

Greenport, Sean Walden, archy & mehitabel

Hampton Bays, Amy Stangasser and Babette Paul, Bye Bye Birdie

Mattituck, Kaylee Bergen and Kimberly Olsen, Leader of the Pack

Mattituck, Maria Peroni and Julia Gaines, One Acts: The Rehearsal and Check, Please!

McGann-Mercy, Stephanie Strippoli, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Glass Menagerie and Jekyll & Hyde

Pierson, Emily Verneuille, Pygmalion

Pierson, Emma Brannen, Shelly Matthers and Nick Dwoskin, Anything Goes

Riverhead, Abigail Beodeker, Working and West Side Story

Ross, Victoria Batista, One Acts

Shoreham-Wading River, Mariah Brengel, Beauty and the Beast and Brighton Beach Memoirs

Southampton, Skylar Borucke, West Side Story

Southold, Jaclyn Conway, Curtains

Westhampton Beach, Jenna Arcuri, Fools

SET DESIGN

Beau Riva, Pierson, Anything Goes

PLAYBILL/POSTER ART

Emily Gandalfo, Westhampton Beach, Fools

INNOVATIONS IN THEATRE EDUCATION

This award recognizes the efforts of a school that goes above and beyond to support exceptional theatre arts education. This year, McGann-Mercy High School is being recognized for its addition of a third production during the school year devoted to serious drama by such playwrights as Tennessee Williams, Thornton Wilder, Edward Albee and Eugene O’Neill.