Announced at Gala Awards Ceremony at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
 
(Riverhead, NY)—The Sixth Annual Teeny Awards© were presented Sunday, June 8th during a gala ceremony at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. Nominees, decked out in their prom attire, were presented individually to the audience as they filed into the spotlight onstage to thunderous applause.

Each winner received a glass trophy, two tickets to Bay Street Theatre’s Mainstage Season, and two $100 savings bonds, one from Bridgehampton National Bank, and one from the East End Arts Council.

The Teeny Awards© is a student theatre arts recognition program of the East End Arts Council (EEAC) and Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (WHBPAC) patterned after the Tony Awards. Volunteer judges attend high school plays and select nominees in each of a variety of categories, culminating in this gala awards ceremony in June.

Bonnie Grice of WLIU 88.3FM once again served as Mistress of Ceremonies, and honored guests and sponsors presenting awards included: Kristen Alestra, Teeny Graduate,  Sharon Abbondondelo, Bridgehampton National Bank, Dr. Ruth Appelhof, Executive Director, Guild Hall and John Drew Theater, David Brandenburg, Executive Director, Hamptons Shakespeare Festival, Will Chandler, Education Director, Bay Street Theatre, Michael Disher, Southampton Cultural Center Theatre Director, Joanna Ferraro-Levy, Associate Director, WHB Performing Arts Center, Denise Donovan, Human Resources Executive Team Leader, Target, Nicole Hunt, Target Stores, Michele Isabelle-Stark, Director of the Suffolk County Office of Film and Cultural Affairs, Bob Kaplan, Director, AJ Lebenns, Teeny Graduate, Nada Marjanovich, Publisher & Editor, LI Pulse, Joseph Martorano, Sponsor, Greg McCaslin, Senior Program Consultant, Center for Arts Education, Mark Miller, Miller Environmental Group, Robyn Moreno, Host/Producer, Plum TV, Jim Morgo, Suffolk County Chief Deputy County Executive, Cathy Moriarty, Actor, Oscar Nominee, Christian Nilsson, Teeny Graduate, Sandra Novick, President, East End Arts Council, Patricia Snyder, Executive Director, East End Arts Council, Dr. Wallace Smith, General Manager, WLIU 88.3FM, and Law Tarello, C6 Theatrical Enterprises.

The audience was treated to scenes from this past year’s productions from Mattituck High School’s production of “Hamlet,” Southold High School’s “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” Riverhead High School’s “Urinetown,” and Center Moriches High School’s “How to Succeed in Busines….” Each year, The Teeny Awards© also honors Bay Street Theatre’s Young Playwrights Program, and presents one of the short one act plays produced as part of that program. The play selected for performance this year was Westhampton Beach High School’s “What Happened to All the Stars,” by Louis Rinaldi.
 
The 2008 Teeny Awards© winners are:
 
Lead Actor in a Comedy
Louis Rinaldi, Westhampton Beach, “Lend Me a Tenor”
 
Lead Actress in a Comedy
Samantha Ranagan, Westhampton Beach, “Lend Me a Tenor”
 
Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Christian Scheider, Ross School, “Scintillating Scenes”
 
Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Alana Campbell, Westhampton Beach, “Lend Me a Tenor”
 
Outstanding Performance in a Comedy
Meghan Davis, Riverhead, “Up the Down Staircase”
 
Lead Actor in a Drama
Dhruva Corrigan, Pierson, “All My Sons”
 
Lead Actress in a Drama
Erin North, Pierson, “All My Sons”
 
Supporting Actor in a Drama
Raphael Odell Shapiro, Ross School, “Scintillating Scenes”
 
Supporting Actress in a Drama
Hope Andrejack, McGann Mercy, “Steel Magnolias”

Outstanding Performance in a Drama:
Megan Vinciguerra, Mattituck, “Hamlet”
 
Lead Actor in a Musical
Kirby Garrison, Shelter Island, “Miss Saigon”
 
Lead Actress in a Musical
Emily Hudson, Southold, “Thoroughly Modern Millie”
 
Supporting Actor in a Musical
Tim Ferris, Riverhead, “Urinetown”
 
Supporting Actress in a Musical
Veronica Amendola, Eastport South Manor, “South Pacific”
 
Outstanding Performance in a Musical
Laura Lynn Duffy, McGann Mercy, “Little Shop of Horrors”
 
JUDGES’ CHOICE AWARD
The recipient of the 2008 Judges’ Choice Award is the ensemble work of Chris Murphy as Finch and Thomas Schrage as Biggley, in Center Moriches’ production of “How to Succeed in Business…”
 
CHOREOGRAPHY
Jessica Benitez, Riverhead, “Urinetown”
 
SET DESIGN
Brian Niggles, East Hampton, “Wizard of Oz”
 
LIGHTING DESIGN
Joe Capuano, Greenport, “Back to the 80s”
 
PLAYBILL COVER/POSTER ART
Nicole Keane, Pierson, Sag Harbor, “All My Sons”
 
STAGE MANAGERS
John Burke, Eastport South Manor, “South Pacific” & “The Crucible”
Emma DeVito, Pierson, “The King & I”
Shelby Hearn, Westhampton Beach, “Lend Me a Tenor”
Rachel Lucas, Westhampton Beach, “Titanic”
Ricky Rizzo, Riverhead, “Urinetown”
Joanna Tschurtschenthaler, East Hampton, “Wizard of Oz” & “Christmas Carol”
Addy Witherspoon, Southold, “Thoroughly Modern Millie”
 
Bay Street Young Playwrights
Shawna Bennett, East Hampton
Hernan Cordoba, Southampton
Mia DiOrio, Shelter Island
Janet Fusco, Pierson
Freddy Garcia, Bridgehampton
Louis Rinaldi, Westhampton Beach
Melissa Vasquez, Pierson
Heather Zaykowski, Southampton
 
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Arts for Everyone

Laura Helms
Communications Coordinator
East End Arts Council
133 East Main Street
Riverhead, NY 11901
631.727.0900