This past school year, students from the region took the stage in a play and a musical through Encore! Home School Productions. Their performances earned them nominations in the Apollo Awards, a program that recognizes high school theater students for their achievements. An award ceremony was held in May at The Hershey Theatre, and several Encore! students took home top honors.

"From our fall play, 'The Curious Savage,' and our spring musical, 'The Wizard of Oz,' we had a total of 10 nominations, and Encore! won four awards," said Caleb Steindel, a member of the board of directors and marketing lead for Encore!

Brock Sunday won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play for Hannibal in "The Curious Savage." Alice Tomasetti won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play for Fairy May in "The Curious Savage," and Encore! took home both Outstanding Play for "The Curious Savage" and Outstanding Musical for "The Wizard of Oz."

Additional nominations for Encore! were MaryKate Kenny for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play as Mrs. Ethel Savage in "The Curious Savage" and for Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical as Aunt Em in "The Wizard of Oz," Josiah Evans for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play as Titus Savage in "The Curious Savage," Ian Riethmiller for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical as Hunk/Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz," Alice Tomasetti for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical as Dorothy Gale in "The Wizard of Oz" and Outstanding Dance Number in a Musical for "The Jitterbug" in "The Wizard of Oz."

Encore! performances feature students from throughout Lancaster, Dauphin and surrounding counties. Locally, Josiah Evans lives in the Elizabethtown Area School District and "The Wizard of Oz" featured students who live in Donegal, Columbia Borough, Lower Dauphin, Annville-Cleona, Camp Hill and West Shore school districts as well. Encore! performed "The Wizard of Oz" in March at The Junction Center in Manheim.

Participating in the Apollo Awards provides an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the hard work of the performers, Steindel said.

"It's important to validate the importance of the art form and how much it brings happiness to people," he commented. "It's also important because these kids dedicate time and effort for a project outside of normal school hours, and it's lots of hard, excruciating work. They need to know that there is a lasting impact with this art form that stays with people beyond curtain call."

Steindel said the students enjoyed interacting with other performers at the ceremony and seeing their peers recognized on stage.

"We love the Apollo Awards because they're such a wonderful opportunity for us to meet and interact with other schools and celebrate their accomplishments," he stated. "Encore! is grateful for these awards, but all the other schools did so incredibly well, too. (We are) grateful to be a part of this program, grateful for the all-volunteer team that makes up Encore! and grateful to God for giving us these talents with which to perform."

For a complete list of Apollo Award winners, visit http://www.hersheyentertainment.com/hershey-theatre/apollo-awards.