The Independence Awards, which honor outstanding student theater performances and productions in the Philadelphia region, made the difficult decision to cancel their ceremony for this year, but wanted to honor the work of the schools that participated in the 2019-20 program. The Abington Friends School Upper School production of Songs for a New World garnered recognition in 9 categories with 11 nominations total including Outstanding Achievements in Overall Show. All the honorees appear below a video montage submitted for the Awards.
- Outstanding Achievements in Overall Show: Songs for a New World
- Outstanding Achievements by a Supporting Actress: Halle Jacobson ’20 and Sophie Pugh ’22
- Outstanding Achievements by a Supporting Actor Zachary Ford ’20
- Outstanding Achievements by a Featured Actress Katie Brady-Gold ’22 and Devyn Costello-Henderson ’21
- Outstanding Achievements by a Vocalist Actress: Sophie Pugh ’22
- Outstanding Achievements by a Vocalist Actor: Zachary Ford ’20
- Outstanding Achievements by an Orchestra: Abington Friends School Pit Band
- Outstanding Achievements in Lights: Abington Friends School Light
- Outstanding Achievements in Creative Leadership: Noah Vinogradov ’21
Eight members of the Upper School Acting Ensemble class also participated in the 2020 Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s High School competition and came away with scholarships and awards in several categories:
- Silas Lloyd ’21 and Halle Jacobson ’20 each received a partial ($2,000) scholarship to DeSales University’s theatre program
- Cole Lewis ’20 received a partial scholarship ($4,000, their top prize) to DeSales’ theatre program
- Cole also placed second in the monologue category for his performance of Hamlet’s “O what a rogue and peasant slave am I” speech
- The entire team (Silas, Halle, Cole, Emma Cameron ’20, Mar’keece Barnett ’20, Clay Lewis ’22, Sophie Pugh ’22 and Devyn Costello-Henderson ’21) placed third in the overall team category.
We’re so proud of you, friends. Congratulations!