Awards

The following is a list of honors received by some of Monsignor Donovan High School’s most recent productions:

Fiddler on the Roof”

March, 2008

Ocean County Teen Arts

Critiqued for Excellence

2008 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards

Final Nomination:  Outstanding Achievement in Lobby Display

“The Pirates of Penzance

March, 2007

Ocean County Teen Arts

New Jersey State Teen Arts

Critiqued for Excellence

2007 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards

Honorable Mention:  Outstanding Scenic Achievement

“Children of Eden

March, 2006

Ocean County Teen Arts

New Jersey State Teen Arts

Critiqued for Excellence

Godspell

March, 2005

2005 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards

Educational Impact Award – Final Nomination

 

“The King and I”

March, 2004

2004 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role – Laura Apruzzese

                                                                                                             (Anna Leonowens)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group – “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”

Outstanding Direction by a Teacher/Director – Carol Babuschak

Outstanding Achievement in Musical Direction – Cindy Wald

Outstanding Achievement in Choreography – Helena Bodine

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design

Outstanding Achievement in Hair and Make-up Design

Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design

Honorable Mentions:

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – Gregg Bautista

                                                                                                            (King of Siam)

Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design

 

Rider University Drama Festival

Excellence in Acting – Laura Apruzzese (Anna Leonowens)

Excellence in Acting – Gregg Bautista (The King of Siam)

Excellence in Acting – Kaitlin Cassidy (Tuptim)

Excellence in Acting – Peter Batrony (Simon Legree)

Excellence in Movement – Ashley Ramos (Eliza)

Excellence in Ensemble Acting

Excellence in Costumes

Excellence in Independent Costume Design – Natalie McKeever

 

Ocean County Teen Arts  

New Jersey State Teen Arts

Critiqued for Excellence – Laura Apruzzese and Gregg Bautista

                                                 (Anna Leonowens and the King of Siam)

 

“Footloose”

March, 2003

2003 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards

Student Achievement Award – Colin Weir and Sean Monguso

 

 

“The Man Who Came to Dinner”

November, 2002

Ocean County Teen Arts

New Jersey State Teen Arts

Critiqued for Excellence – Michael Krenek and Lindsay Amato

(Sheridan Whiteside and Maggie Cutler)

 

 

“The Wiz”
 March, 2002

2002 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards  

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design

Honorable Mention:

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – John Munro

                                                                                                                 (The Wiz)

 

 

MDHS is selected to go to Scotland!

 

On May 5, 2005, Mrs. Carol Babuschak, Director of the Monsignor Donovan High School Spring Musical received a letter from the American High School Theatre Festival, an excerpt of which follows:

 

Congratulations!  I am writing to confirm your selection as one of the winners for the 2006 American High School Theatre Festival (AHSTF.)  You and your students will join the U.S. contingent and perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland next summer as part of the AHSTF program.


The nomination and application processes were extremely competitive.  Top high school drama departments across the country were nominated by state, regional, and national theater directors as well as university theater professors.  The excellence of your program was recognized by our Board of Advisors comprised of respected university drama professionals.  The Board of Advisors reviewed each application and selected their top choices from submitted AHSTF applications.

In May, 2004, Monsignor Donovan High School was nominated for nine awards in the Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, New Jersey) Rising Star Awards competition for their March, 2004 production of “The King and I.”  Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards, the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards were created to encourage and reward exceptional accomplishments in the production of New Jersey high school musicals. 

The American High School Theatre Festival is the single largest producer of shows at the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which takes place each August in Edinburgh, Scotland.  They are an independent producer of over 40 different shows and 20 performances a day. To select the schools that will participate, AHSTF relies on state, regional, and national theatre organizations and university theatre professors to nominate the nation’s top high school theatre programs.  Based on Monsignor Donovan’s success at the 2004 Rising Star Awards, the Paper Mill Playhouse nominated MDHS to the American High School Theatre Festival.  In all, 26 schools from the State of New Jersey were nominated to the American High School Theatre Festival and in total over 2,200 high schools from across the country received nominations to attend the Festival.  Out of that 2,200, Monsignor Donovan was one of only 50 high schools chosen for participation in the Festival and the only high school from the State of New Jersey selected for this honor.  MDHS is only the fourth school from New Jersey to be invited to the Fringe Festival in the 12 years that the AHSTF has been sponsoring their program.

**In January 2007 and again in January 2008, the Spring Musical Program was once again nominated to the American High School Theater Festival.  According to the AHSTF, Monsignor Donovan High School "is a school that consistently offers quality theatrical experiences for their students and their audiences."  That makes a total of three nominations MDHS received in a four year time span.