Ringgold, Heritage high schools win theatre awards

Ringgold High School was a big winner in the 13th annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards, taking home seven awards. Heritage High School also won an award.

Artsbridge Foundation, in a special broadcast with partner Georgia Public Broadcasting on May 20, announced the winners during “Shuler Awards 2021,” a special pre-recorded co-production that aired statewide.

Presented as the Shuler Hensley Awards — also known as the Shuler Awards or The Shulers and named for the Marietta-born star of the stage and screen — winners and nominees are recognized as the best of the state’s high school musical theatre. The complete broadcast of Shuler Award winner presentations and scholarship announcements is available via Gpb.org/ events/television/2021/05/20/2021shuler-awards.

Fashioned after Broadway’s Tony Awards, this year’s Shuler Award winners span seven public and private schools from six counties across the Peach State from a pool of 17 nominees from 20 competing schools. The winners:

Overall Production – Ringgold High School, Ringgold, Ga. (Catoosa Co.) for “Anastasia”

Direction – Jané Ellis, Ringgold High School, Ringgold, Ga. (Catoosa Co.) for “Anastasia”

Music Direction – Jané Ellis, Ringgold High School, Ringgold, Ga. (Catoosa Co.) for “Anastasia”

Orchestra – Tim Hinck, Heritage High School, Ringgold, Ga. (Catoosa Co.) for “Into the Woods”

Best Performance by a Leading Actress – Isabella Chaney, Greenbrier High School, Evans, Ga. (Columbia Co.) for “Carousel”

Best Performance by a Leading Actor – Ari Mikels, Lakeview High School, Atlanta (Dekalb Co.) for “Urinetown”

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress – Kaylan Gaines, Gordon Central High School, Calhoun, Ga. (Gordon Co.) for “Little Women”

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor – Cody Ogle, Ringgold High School, Ringgold, Ga. (Catoosa Co.) for “Anastasia”

Best Performance by a Featured Performer – Catherine Hughes, Gordon Central High School, Calhoun, Ga. (Gordon Co.) for “Little Women”

Choreography – Jade LambertSmith/briana Bunkley, Tri-cities High School, East Point, Ga. (Fulton Co.) for “Fela!”

Ensemble – Ringgold High School, Ringgold, Ga. (Catoosa Co.) for “Anastasia”

Scenic Design – Cody Ogle, Ringgold High School, Ringgold, Ga. (Catoosa Co.) for “Anastasia”

Costume Design – Sarah Grace Fries, Ringgold High School, Ringgold, Ga. (Catoosa Co.) for “Anastasia”

Showstopper – Duluth High School, Duluth, Ga. (Gwinnett Co.) for “Sister Act, Jr.”

Show-must-go-on Spotlight Award – Tri-cities High School, East Point, Ga. (Fulton Co.) for “Fela!”

In 2020-21, 20 high schools across the state enrolled and competed to determine the 17 Shuler Award nominees, with a team of more than 50 Georgia-based arts professionals evaluating the student productions. The accounting firm Bennett Thrasher tabulated the results for the 2021 Shuler Hensley Awards.