The Literati Awards/The PTA Meeting
at James Madison High School

Reviewed on April 24, 2021

Ellen Keil
Lake Braddock Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Cameras flash, the crowd roars, and fans wait with bated breath to see what celebrity will step out onto the red carpet. The limo doors open and reveal…a bickering Romeo and Juliet? Anything is possible at The Literati Awards, performed by the talented students at James Madison High School.

Written in 2018 by Claire Epstein and Ian McWethy, The Literati Awards features characters from classic works of literature, such as The Scarlet Letter and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, reimagined as they attend an awards show. Watch as each character competes to win the coveted Greatest Literary Character of All Time Award in this hilarious script that both celebrates and pokes fun at award show clichés.

As one of the first actors on screen, Kira Brombacher had the responsibility of setting the tone for the rest of the show, a task she accomplished magnificently. Her character, the perky red carpet host Anna Fairchild, emanated enthusiasm and Brombacher maintained her high energy throughout the play. Both Katie Hindin and Ciara Stefanik excelled when faced with the challenge of maintaining a foreign accent as the bratty Veruca Salt and the elegant Elizabeth Bennet respectively. At the end of the show while Juliet is giving a speech, Romeo, played by Jonah Uffelman, watched. Although he had no lines at the time, the expressions which flickered across Uffelman's face were clear, and he managed to perfectly express his feelings.

The majority of the technical aspects for this show were completed by Stella Monner and Sasha Tepp. Acting as the props, costume, set, and makeup designers, Monner and Tepp showcased their masterful abilities. As many actors played two different characters, the combination of makeup and costumes helped create a distinction that sometimes made the actors unrecognizable.

Every great awards show has an after party and James Madison High School provided just that with the addition of their short work, The PTA Meeting. Written by students Melinda Goldfedder and Ashlan O'Malley, The PTA Meeting displayed the stereotypical people and common pitfalls in an archetypal Zoom meeting. From the disruptive, overly protective parent to the lady who couldn't unmute herself, to the one man desperately trying to keep the meeting on track, each character was vibrant and relatable to real life.

Both The Literati Awards and The PTA Meeting were phenomenal performances. Each character had a distinct personality that made them stand out. The actors were lively and used their limited space very well. All of this means the award for best double feature goes to James Madison High School.

Alyssa Medici
Langley High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

What do an awards show and a PTA meeting have in common? Both are full of chaos, comedy, and characters that smell like onions! James Madison High School's double feature of "The Literati Awards" and "The PTA Meeting" captured the shift of in-person events on to Zoom in an opposite but equally enticing manner. "The Literati Awards," written by Ian McWethy and Claire Epstein and directed by Stella Monner and Sasha Tepp, gathered a classic group of famous literary characters together and followed their antics as they waited to see who would be crowned the "Best Literary Character." "The PTA Meeting," written and directed by Ashlan O'Malley and Melinda Goldfedder, listened in on a tumultuous PTA meeting with plenty of conflict, technology issues, and… onions?

The cast of "The Literati Awards" did a phenomenal job of portraying a host of iconic literary characters. From Sean Steen's delightfully unsettling Sherlock Holmes to Jonah Uffelman's brooding and moody Romeo, each actor brought their own unique twists to their renowned characters. The versatility of the actors was also impressive; the contrasting portrayals of a modern, teenage Juliet and the intelligent, posh, and British-accented Elizabeth Bennet made it nearly impossible to tell that both were played by Ciara Stefanik. The cast was not only versatile in their range of characters, but also in their settings, utilizing the space around them in a way that truly captivated the audience. Juliet could be seen reflected in her mirror as she readied herself for the awards show, and the cat-and-mouse game between Gollum (Will Bush) and the security guard (Ben Eggleston) bounced from screen to screen, with each actor hopping in and out of their Zoom boxes with ease.

The technical elements of "The Literati Awards" truly made the production feel cohesive. The editing and sound, done by Lizzie Dorsey, helped each scene flow smoothly from one to the other, and the quick cuts back and forth from Moby Dick and the whale noises were hilarious and well-timed. The production boasted an impressive range of costumes (curated by Stella Monner and Sasha Tepp), from a 1800's floral dress for Elizabeth Bennet (Ciara Stefanik) to a full wizard's getup for Gandalf (Jonah Uffelman), beard and all.

The cast of "The PTA Meeting" expertly handled the challenge of maintaining energy and action throughout the "meeting" without any cuts. Each character filled a different trope of the types of parents in a Zoom meeting, from the technologically challenged mom, Lavender (Valerie Dure), to the loud and distracted father, Chad (Bill Gibb). Coco Pinnock truly stood out as Barry's Mom, with her loud and opinionated "Karen" personality being centered wholly around her son and his onion allergy. Even when they weren't the center of attention, each PTA member's facial expressions as they grappled with technology and reacted to what others were saying filled the background and made every moment dynamic.

The technical elements of "The PTA Meeting" were simple, but enhanced the production, nonetheless. The characters could be seen talking through the Zoom chat feature on the screen, and, at one point, Jamie's (Kieran Warner) background changes to a picture of an onion, and an onion filter appears on her face. The costumes perfectly accented each character's personality; from Barry's Mom's posh coat to Fred, the school board member's (Caden O'Malley), suit and authoritative appearance.

The antics of James Madison High School's productions did not disappoint. From a fast-paced and hectic award show to an excruciating Zoom PTA Meeting, there was never a dull moment in "The Literati Awards" and "The PTA Meeting."

Mia Bridges
West Springfield High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

What do Gollum, Jo March, and an obnoxious soccer mom have in common? Wonder no more – all are characters portrayed by the actors of James Madison High School in their productions of The Literati Awards and The PTA Meeting!

James Madison High School developed two separate comedic one act plays: The Literati Awards, written by Ian McWethy and Claire Epstein, and The PTA Meeting, written by Madison students Melinda Goldfedder and Ashlan O'Malley. The Literati Awards depicted an award show where some of literature's most famous characters vie for the title of the best literary character of all time, while The PTA Meeting told the story of an elementary school's quirky first virtual PTA meeting.

Both The Literati Awards and The PTA Meeting featured an amazing cast of actors that brought each story to life. The casts' quick banter, fun dynamics, and unique characters created two shows that had incredibly high energy and kept the audience invested the entire time. The shows were led by Sarah Johnson as Lexi Vellum, one of the hosts of The Literati Awards, Kira Brombacher as Anna Fairchild, The Literati Awards' second host, and Aaron Shansab as the host of The PTA Meeting's Zoom call. Johnson and Brombacher both crafted stellar characters, with Johnson's lazy, uninvested Vellum contrasting very nicely with Brombacher's lively, genuine Fairchild. Shansab (and the rest of the show's cast) was able to create an equally interesting character by playing into a distinct caricature of one type of adult on a Zoom meeting. Shansab also demonstrated the incredible range of his acting by portraying not only the host in The PTA Meeting, but also Jay Gatsby and Veruca Salt's father in The Literati Awards. In fact, many actors in these two shows portrayed multiple roles, and all displayed amazing range and differentiated between their characters very well.

The Literati Awards was directed by students Stella Monner and Sasha Tepp, who both did a fantastic job. Their use of the video call medium was very fun and unique – instead of simply having actors sit in front of their cameras the whole time like people would in a normal Zoom meeting, they had actors rushing across their screen and recording themselves from creative angles (for instance, the character of Juliet was filmed in a mirror in a room with bouquets of flowers). They also used props for great comedic effect – for example, host Lexi Vellum used a hairbrush instead of a microphone to reflect her less professional attitude, and instead of having an eagle flying in to rescue Gandalf the Grey, they used a yellow stuffed bird.

Not only did students Melinda Goldfedder and Ashlan O'Malley write The PTA Meeting, but they directed the play as well. Their writing was phenomenal – they drew on multiple different caricatures of video call participants instead of just one, and each character had a unique struggle or theme that they portrayed over the course of the play. Their direction was amazing as well, particularly their playing into the format of a Zoom call. They utilized the chat function, the name tags for each Zoom box, the green-screen background application, and the mute function to add comedy and characterization throughout the play.

James Madison High School's theatre company created two hilarious shows with amazing energy and fantastic characters. In the language of award shows: these students are all winners!

Zain Omar
Riverside High School
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

Double the shows, double the fun. James Madison High School provided audiences with a comedy-filled night with their double feature of "The Literati Awards," and "The PTA Meeting."

"The Literati Awards," Was written by Claire Epstein and Ian McWethy and was published in August of 2018. It tells the story of characters from well-known pieces of literature getting ready for an award show in which some are up for the coveted trophy for "The Greatest Literary Character of All Time." It's a night full of tomfoolery as all the characters have their own conflicts throughout the show causing a comical display.

"The PTA Meeting," is a student written piece by Melinda Goldfedder and Ashlan O'Malley. It portrays the new normal of online meetings, in this case, a PTA meeting. The parents are trying to get through a Monday morning meeting while all struggling to figure out how Zoom works. Throughout the show the audience sees a parent speaking while on mute, one who activated a background and can't turn it off, and even some not in frame. The show provided a humorous depiction of what life is like now with everything being online while simultaneously creating joy during this hard time for everyone.

The actors in "The Literati Awards," had a hard task of depicting such well-known literary figures, but all of them executed it perfectly. Romeo (Jonah Uffelman) and Juliet (Ciara Stefanik) moved in sync as they were dressing for the big night. Uffelman and Stefanik did a brilliant job of keeping the main trope of the characters, but also giving them a teen-like quality that is very reflective of the characters' true age. The actors made the use of their space with Stefanik filming herself in a mirror and The Security Guard (Ben Eggleston) running across the screen while chasing Gollum (Will Bush). In "The PTA Meeting," Barry's Mom, AKA Karen (Coco Pinnock) captivated audiences with her over the top energy and her hilarious depiction of a typical Karen. The use of her dog as a prop and her extravagant coat really tied the whole act together.

The costuming for "The Literati Awards," designed by Stella Monner and Sasha Tepp, creatively tied together period pieces with modern red-carpet style and was a focal point throughout the show. Presenter, Anna Fairchild (Kira Brombacher), creatively used a hairbrush as a microphone, which added a laughable element to her perky, over the top performance. "The PTA Meeting," creatively used the format of Zoom and even utilized the chat function during the show. Actor, Kieran Warner, added a wacky onion filter on her screen halfway through the show, which drove home the act of a clueless parent trying to figure out the online video chat platform.

Overall, these shows had a rambunctious energy that filled the night with laughter and excitement. From literary characters to your typical Karen, James Madison High School had audiences wishing the shows would never end.

Chloe Loufield
Riverside High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Get the popcorn ready because tonight, James Madison High School presents not one, but two compelling one-acts. "The Literati Awards" and "The PTA Meeting" are captivating stories that hold light-hearted comedy and high energy, so be prepared to enter an immersive world filled with giggles and red-carpet moments!

The first one-act, "The Literati Awards," written by Claire Epstein and Ian McWethy, was a light-hearted comedy that united the stars of classic literature at the best award show in hopes of winning "The Greatest Literary Character of All Time." Who would it be? The second one-act, "The PTA Meeting," was an original online play written by Melinda Goldfedder and Ashlan O'Malley. The story centered around the beginning of quarantine, where the first virtual PTA meeting at an elementary school took place. The production captured the reality of living in a global pandemic and the trials and tribulations of virtual conference platforms.

The cast as a collective was committed and energized to both performances. The scenes were jam-packed with humor, and each actor portrayed a range of roles in both productions. This might seem challenging; however, the actor's endless dedication to their distinctive characterizations is worth mentioning.

In "The Literati Awards," the hosts of the award show, Lexi Vellum and Anna Fairchild (Sarah Johnson, Kira Brombacher), demonstrated their characters exceptionally well. Brombacher added a perky and energized spirit which contrasted the sarcasm and laziness of Johnson's nature. The pair did a commendable job capturing the eagerness of hosting a red-carpet moment. Other roles worth mentioning include the young ingenue, Juliet, portrayed by Ciara Stefanik. Stefanik also embodied the role of Elizabeth Bennet, who is one of the many cast members that flawlessly proved their ability to portray two contrasting roles. Stefanik graced each scene with her variation between Juliet's teenage persona and Elizabeth's elegance and maturity.

In "The PTA Meeting," Barry's Mom (Coco Pinnock) radiated a larger-than-life presence with her genuine devotion to her character. Pinnock comedically depicted the reality of headstrong and motherly figures, while, in her arms, rested Barry's Dog (Teddy), who was absolutely adorable! Additionally, the chaos and hilarious antics of virtual meetings were portrayed in this performance. From onion filters to a subtle chat feature displayed on the screen, this one-act captured the universal experience of the pandemic-filled life.

The cast and crew of the one-acts took advantage of the challenge to perform during a pandemic by filming the show on a virtual platform. The "set" was composed of different virtual backgrounds to parallel the isolation upon which the productions were performed. With the cohesive displays, the cast appeared almost seamlessly in the same space. In "The Literati Awards," the costumes, props, and makeup team (Stella Monner, Sasha Tepp) impressively differentiated between each character, with fashionable flapper attire, and period pieces, to fluffy pink boas. Hairbrushes mimicked microphones, as the props added a comedic touch and brought even more life to the performance. Another notable element was the creative use of camera angles which only provided excellent attention to detail in settings. Lizzie Dorsey's editing and sound skills kept the show fluid and immersed the audience into the ambiance of each moment. This blend of technical elements enhanced the performances as the casts did not let quarantine hinder their final products!

What a red-carpet moment! With radiating energy, James Madison High School's high-spirited productions of "The Literati Awards" and "The PTA Meeting" left audiences smiling and laughing.