Forsyth Students Win National Theater Awards

CUMMING, GA — Students from First Redeemer Church and Forsyth Academy of Performing Arts Company in Cumming won national awards and earned other recognition at the 2020 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta, which happened Jan. 17-19, at The Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The Junior Theater Festival Atlanta united 7,000 students and educators from 128 educational musical theater groups representing 31 states, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K.

Awards

First Redeemer Church won a Freddie G Excellence in Acting group award.

Adjudication

First Redeemer Church students presented selections from Disney’s Frozen JR. for choreographer Shay Rodgers, who created and managed the Academy at Houston's Theatre Under the Stars for over a decade, and Julia Magnasco, education director at First Stage and an adjunct staff member at the UW-Milwaukee.

Said Magnasco, "First Redeemer Church offered an outstanding overall performance! The students were all committed and connected. The choreography was so innovative as they created beautiful images on stage that illustrated the environment and mood of each song being performed."

Forsyth Academy of Performing Arts Company students presented selections from Once on this Island JR. for actor Nick Christopher (Hamilton), and Kelby McIntyre-Martinez, choreographer, dancer, and assistant Dean of Arts Education and Community Engagement in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah.

Said McIntyre Martinez, "Forsyth Academy of Performing Arts Company offered such sweet storytelling and brilliant staging." Added Christopher, "This was a beautiful story with a wonderful message. These kids had so much fun and flooded the theatre with joy and kindness."

Other Recognition

First Redeemer Church’s Daniel Williams and Susanna Poston, and Forsyth Academy of Performing Arts Company’s Jillian Steele and Tessa Long were named to the Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, made up of outstanding performers attending the festival. The All-Stars performed a song during the closing ceremony for all 6,600 festival attendees.

Produced by the Junior Theater Group in partnership with iTheatrics, a leading educational theater company that creates innovative experiences and products for the public and private sector, the Junior Theater Festival Atlanta is the world’s largest festival celebrating young people and the transformative power of musical theater. This year’s title sponsors were Music Theatre International, Disney Theatrical Group, and Playbill, Inc. The year marks the 15th Junior Theater Festival Atlanta. The Junior Theater Festival Atlanta was founded in 2003. In 2010 the festival became an annual event.

About First Redeemer Church

First Redeemer Conservatory of Music & Fine Art's Acting Up, established in 2004, is an outreach ministry of First Redeemer Church which provides both private and group instruction in individual musical instruments, voice, art and drama. The Conservatory presently has an enrollment of about 500 students, with the Acting Up drama class consisting of approximately 100 elementary, middle and high school students.

The program has enjoyed success at past festivals.

At the 2018 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta Acting Up’s Lindsay Williams won a Freddie G award for Excellent Individual Performance by a Female.

In 2016, Acting Up's Jacob Harshman received a Freddie G Award for Excellent Individual Performance by a Male.

2015 marked the first time at the Junior Theater Festival for Acting Up's drama program. Acting Up won a Freddie G Award for Excellence in Dance. Student Thomas McFerran made it to the final call-back for future shoots for "how-to" choreography videos for soon-to-be released Broadway Junior musicals. He was also selected to sing the National Anthem for all festival attendess at the opening ceremonies.

About Forsyth Academy of Performing Arts Company

Forsyth Academy of Performing Arts (FAPA) works to foster a creative, safe, and professional environment for students to develop skills essential to the performing arts and beyond.

FAPA opened in 2013 with 35 students interested in studying the performing arts. The program now have hundreds of students enrolled. Its educators work with students on developing technique, growing confidence, building relationships, and practicing responsibility.

FAPA has enjoyed great success at past festivals.

At the 2019 and 2018 Junior Theater Festivals Atlanta FAPA won a Freddie G Award for Excellence in Ensemble Work.

Also at the 2018 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta, FAPA student Ella Duncan made it to the call-back for future shoots for “how-to” choreography videos for soon-to-be released musicals. FAPA student Audrey Durbin was named to Tech Theater All-Stars, a select group of students who worked side by side with seasoned professionals and served on the technical crew for the awards ceremony.

At the 2017 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta, FAPA won a Freddie G Group Award for Excellence in Dance, and student Emily Nester won a Freddie G Group Award for Outstanding Student Director and Choreographer. Additionally, FAPA students Garrett VanWambeke and Audrey Durbin were named to Tech Theater All-Stars. Also at the 2017 festival, students Sydney Stetson and Emily Nester made it to the call-back for future shoots for “how-to” choreography videos.

In 2016 Forsyth Academy of Performing Arts won a Freddie G Excellence in Dance award and students Audrey Durbin and Alexis Bagley were named to the Tech Theatre All Stars. 2015 was the group’s first year traveling to the Junior Theater Festival.