And who said A Midsummer Night’s Dream was over? It’s Cappies time! The name Cappies stands for “Critics and Awards Program,” but what is it really all about?  Cappies is a program through which elected representatives, or critics, are chosen from each participating school, to view and review other schools’ performances.  After each show, the critics review the show together and pick people to be eligible for a nomination.  There are many different categories that someone can be nominated in, from props, to best actor, to best play, and they help get the entire cast and crew involved.  After all the shows have taken place, the critics get together and pick nominations, or the groups that are able to win that specific category.  Once the nominations are released, the preparation for the Gala begins.  On May 25^th, students from schools all over Maryland will gather at the Hippodrome Theater to celebrate this wonderful event.  The preparation for this massive events includes, making sure all information about your show is well-documented and submitted on time, rehearsing your scene to perform, and more.  Once the awaited night arrives, everyone comes to the theater beautifully dressed and ready to go.  The night begins with a procession of all the schools, as we enter the theater.  It is awesome to see the diversity of participants, coming from all over the state.  One of the best parts of the night is the performances.  Sporadically throughout the night, the schools perform a short scene or musical number from their show.  This provides an insight for the people who didn’t get a chance to see that performance and gives the actors one final performance to showcase all the hard work that went into the show.  As the night goes on, winners are announced, and the true spirit of theater comes out.  Everyone is on his or her feet cheering for not only his or her own school, but everyone because in the long run, we are all in this together.  Cappies helps local schools to not only recognize outstanding talent in the theater world, but also bring students involved in theater together to create an amazing sense of community.  After all is said and done, NDP hopes to bring home a Cappie or two, but ultimately the event is about showcasing the theater community’s exceptional talent, having fun, and recognizing the sense of community among the outstanding theater community.

Stay tuned for nominations coming soon on the NDP website at www.notredameprep.com!