See the 155 Orange County high school students nominated in the specialties of acting, musical theater performance and theatrical design.
The following 155 students have been nominated for the 2023 Artist of the Year in theater by teachers and private instructors at Orange County high schools and arts organizations.
This arts discipline has been divided into three specialties: acting, musical theater performance and theatrical design. Semifinalists in each specialty will be chosen by a panel of theater teachers and announced on April 23 at ocregister.com.
The nominees are listed with an endorsement from their nominating teacher and a link to the student’s work.
Ella Katherine Avital
“In the four years of theatrical study, she pushes himself to his fullest potential. She will constantly be putting in additional hours and units of study to perfect his craft and his roles. She understands that to excel in his art, she must study all forms of theatre, dance and music. …As well as a devoted theatre student, she is an inspiring performer. She barely misses any opportunity to grow and perform.” — Elise Ybarra, Corona del Mar High School
Rosemary Bagnara
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“While working closely with Rosey, I have consistently found her to be reliable, independent, and passionate. She is a natural leader and very dedicated to her craft, making sure to stay well rounded by participating on our JV dance team and in our advanced Madrigal choir. For most drama productions, Rosey is in charge of creating tickets, posters, and all other media design to advertise our shows. She has worked all aspects of a production: on stage, backstage, marketing, directing, and more.” — Sarah Portwood, Costa Mesa High School
Zachary (Matthias) Bruggeman
“Matthias is the kind of student that every teacher prays for: kind, considerate, respectful, and creative. He will gladly work with younger students to guide them in their monologues and partner with them in scene work. He volunteers to help at every opportunity whether it’s on stage or behind the scenes.” — James Whitson, Crean Lutheran High School
Alysse Camelot
“Alysse is a natural and honest actor. She thrives with dramatic works, but has a witty approach to her comedic work which keeps her surprising me with fun and interesting choices. … She would thrive in theatre, television, or film and I believe that’s where her goals lie. Personally, Alysse is an easy-going and sweet young lady who has a unique ability to step into one another’s shoes and her empathy shines through in each character she creates.” — Cheryl Des Palmes, Tesoro High School
Sarah Castillo
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“She sings, writes, acts, directs, makes, paints — she does it all! Sarah has a wonderful gift for physical comedy, and radiates bright energy and connection to whatever role she is playing. She is a talented improviser and writer, and knows exactly where the jokes land, never missing the punchline. She always has an encouraging word and a shoulder to lean on for her fellow company members and is never shy in engaging with the work at hand.” — Lissa Slay, Mater Dei High School
Lucia Cavalluzzi
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“From the beginning of my time working with her, she was a force to be reckoned with. She is completely unafraid, fiercely determined, and one of the most eager students I have ever encountered. She loves all elements of theater, from performing, to working backstage, to attending and analyzing performances. As an actress, Lucy has demonstrated a great amount of intelligence and thoughtfulness in her acting choices. She is deliberate in her performances, thinking through each moment and making choices that demonstrate a distinct understanding of her characters.” — Kathleen Switzer, El Dorado High School
Arushi Shriram Chokshi
“Arushi has established herself as a leading actor at Sage Hill, performing in major roles in class projects and school productions. She has also written and directed multiple one act plays that have been extremely successful. She is writing a novel, is a visual artist, and dances, as well. She truly is an exceptional person and one of the best students I have ever had the honor of teaching.” — Mary Kildare, Sage Hill School
Zachary Colby
“He is one of the most effervescent performers I have ever had. He just bubbles over with joy when he is performing, and this enthusiasm spills over to his cast mates. He is someone I can always count on to make huge choices and leave everything on stage — and he is a great example to the younger students.” — Kathleen Switzer, El Dorado High School
Savannah Collins
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“Savannah is a seasoned artist, but an emerging actress. Savannah loves literature and is an fan of the classics. She is at home throwing clay on the wheel, and bounces through life with a tune in her head. And then, last year … she discovered acting. She dove in with both feet, participating in classes and productions as intensely as her academic schedule would allow. Wow — it’s paid off! Savannah has a ton of stage presence, and, although she had to work hard at it, she performs bravely with honesty.” — Ranae Bettger, University High School
Sophie Darsch
“Sophie has an uncanny ability to make even the smallest, most insignificant roles into must-see theatre. She is well versed in comedic acting but is not afraid to tackle more challenging pieces that stretch her artistic acting chops. Something that makes Sophie such a great artist is that she fully commits to the characters she portrays, despite the size of the role. Sophie has played lead roles as well as roles that do not speak, and she puts the same amount of effort into developing every role she is given.” — Taylor Finnerty, Trabuco Hills High School
Ava DeVoe
“A well-rounded artist, Ava excels in contemporary and classical theatre, on-camera acting, movement and improvisation without ego or a need to prove herself. She is a true artist. Ava’s vision and artistic voice are being shaped through her unique ability to absorb, ponder, question or challenge what she’s learning with tremendous levels of awareness and innovative thinking!” — Stephanie Dorian, Orange County School of the Arts
Ethan Diaz
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“Ethan Diaz is an extraordinary person. He brings a unique energy, confidence and enthusiasm to everything he does. Since his freshman year, Ethan has poured his heart and soul into the Talon Theatre Program as an actor, designer and musical theatre performer. He leads by example with his positive attitude, effort and work ethic.” — Amy Luskey-Barth, Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Grace Dickinson
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“She is a talented dancer, actor, and singer. She is in AP ceramics and has helped us create props, create marketing materials, and more. She researches roles thoroughly not only for herself, but when coaching fellow students as well. She is an artist in every way possible.” — Sarah Portwood, Costa Mesa High School
Catherine Dosier
“Catherine Dosier is one of those rare people who is effortlessly outstanding at everything she does, and I do mean everything. She can act, sing and dance, skills that will no doubt serve her if she chooses to pursue performing as a career. And we just recently discovered that she can do flips like a gymnast, and box like a champion. What truly sets Catherine apart are her instincts. She has a preternatural ability to understand complex material and characters, and an even more preternatural ability to bring them to life.” — Jenny McClintock, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts
Noella Egelsee
“Noella Egelsee is one of the hardest working students I have come across in my career. In our performing arts academy, Noella is involved in both the musical theatre and theatre departments, and is often working on productions from both departments at one time, and she still finds time to regularly seek me out for private workshops to improve her craft.” — Jenny McClintock, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts
Henry Erhard
“Henry embodies what it is to be a theatremaker: he is a multifaceted artist, with an unerring capacity for understanding the roles he plays, both on or off the stage. Onstage, Henry has no limit — he is at as much ease with Shakespeare as he is with musical theatre. Offstage, he excels in design and in finding creative solutions to the challenges that theatre can present. He is kind, patient, and encouraging and many in our program look to him for the fine example of artistry and leadership he consistently demonstrates.” — Lissa Slay, Mater Dei High School
Grady J. Farman
“Grady is one of the most versatile and intuitive actors I have ever worked with. He brings so much to every role he plays. He takes what is on the page and he makes it better. He never breaks character, or does his work half way. From the beginning to the end of the rehearsal process, he gives it everything he has. He gives so much to his partners, who are in turn better in the scene because of him.” — Jenny McClintock, Huntington Beach High School
Nicolas Fuller
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“Nicolas is a serious actor who makes everything fun! He is super responsible and reliable, and he is earnest in learning his roles and improving his craft. Still, he is always smiling and laughing and keeping the mood light. He never forgets that performing is fun! …Nick strives to improve his own performance, but he also looks beyond himself and considers what can make a show better.” — Susan Lord, Laguna Hills High School
Deven Grover
“Deven Grover dreams of acting on screen and he has all the skills and passion to make his dreams come true. Deven joined our department as a sophomore and was a bit shy and unsure if he was willing to share his talents. Near the end of last year, an actor quit our musical. With a little persuasion, Deven jumped in and filled the role and he hasn’t looked back since.” — Cheryl Des Palmes, Tesoro High School
Pierce Harvey
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“Pierce Harvey is the kind of actor that every program would love to have. Pierce is never afraid to take risks with his characters and go the full distance in what is needed to portray that character truthfully, and with his entire heart. Pierce will always do the difficult work of investigating a character, and is fully committed to the work of the rehearsal process. He has a calm sophistication on stage and off that is certainly felt by his audiences and peers alike.” — Andrea Fouts, Mater Dei High School
Ryland Henderson
“Ryland is a multi-talented actress in my program for the past three years. She has taken my daytime acting classes, and started to shine last year in the ensemble in ‘Matilda’ as a dancer and singer. However, her senior year she auditioned for ‘The Play that Goes Wrong’ and blew me away. I knew instantly that she was perfect for the role, and demonstrated this in her audition when she went above and beyond with her character and physicality.” — Emily Tucker, Capistrano Valley High School
Kiley Herman
“Kiley is passionate about the art of acting and has a natural talent without an abundance of training. She has a drive and desire to improve her skills and always does a great job adjusting her characters as needed. Kiley’s dedication to character is what makes her so entertaining to watch on stage. She seems to flourish with finding the small details that connect her to each character and motivate the characters she plays.” — Taylor Finnerty, Trabuco Hills High School
Lily Hirsch
“Lily is an incredible actor, with an intuitive, empathetic grasp of what makes characters who they are. She has a superb eye for detail and has the makings of a fine director as well. It is my firm belief that Lily can do anything she sets her mind to. She is a strong, confident collaborator, and meets any challenge head-on — she is a force to be reckoned with!” — Lissa Slay, Mater Dei High School
Jenna Josserand
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“Jenna, is truly a talented young person. She has been active in dance and theatre for the past 15 years. … As an audience member you will find yourself looking for Jenna on stage because quite frankly, she is captivating! All this is done without her upstaging the action that is going on around her. As an actor, she takes her homework seriously.” — Antonio Moon, Beckman High School
Caitlin Kampff
“Her sense of humor and sense of self shine through in all of her work. Caitlin performs on our Comedy Sportz team and is hands down one of the strongest players. She cannot only channel a wide variety of characters, her ability to listen and create strong scene-work is unlike any other. She both starts scenes and saves scenes with skill and grace. While Caitlin can act and sing, her passion is for acting in film and television where she has a bright future.” — Cheryl Des Palmes, Tesoro High School
Simon Khan
“Based on my experience with Simon, I can say without the shadow of a doubt that he is one of the most naturally talented and hardworking theatre and music students with whom I have had the opportunity to work. It is clear to me that he has a very bright future in musical theatre. Simon is very mature for his age and he approaches theatre with an astute sense of objectivity. He processes constructive criticism well and is always willing to go the extra mile in order to take his work to the highest level.” — Debora Wondercheck, Arts & Learning Conservatory
Raveena Khetarpal
“Raveena is uniquely talented; extremely dedicated, creative, kind, and exudes enthusiasm for all she does. She is interested in the world and all that it has to offer, and she seeks out every opportunity she can to be involved at school, in her extracurricular activities, and in leadership opportunities. … Raveena is an incredibly talented individual — one who stands out from her peers due to her natural gifts as a performer, her musicality, and her storytelling ability. She is not only a gifted actress and singer, but also an amazing songwriter and pianist.” — Kirsti McCleary, San Clemente High School
Abigail Kim
“I absolutely love having Abigail Kim as a student in my Honors Acting II class. Abby is always committed to whatever role she is given, no matter the size. …Years of ballet have given her the strength and discipline to handle most anything thrown her way.” — James Whitson, Crean Lutheran High School
Sara Kim
“Sara Kim is a passionate, intelligent, young actor with a knack for classical theatre performance. Sara is also a dedicated member of our instrumental music program and she is somehow able to balance her love of theatre and music with a high-performing academic load. In class, Sara is engaged, disciplined, hopeful, sharing, and caring and she brings her clarity of voice to rehearsals and performances.” — Danyelle Bossardet, Northwood High School
Haley Kirchhoff
“Haley’s comedic talents onstage are superb, both when taking what is scripted as well as in improvisation. Even though I am nominating her in the acting category, she is a triple threat, actually no, she is a quadruple threat since this past year she also co-wrote a musical with a fellow student that we are producing right now. She is extremely dedicated in the art of bettering herself in her craft and pushes herself to be better every day.” — Michele Sheehy-Bowren, JSerra Catholic High School
Ian Micah Klatzker
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“Ian is a thoughtful, humorous, and playful individual who never fails to support his peers both on and off stage. Without fail, Ian has demonstrated his ability to be an artist, leader, and a scholar. My favorite moments working with Ian are those when his face lights up because he has an idea or a revelation. I cannot wait to see what he will bring to the process and I know that his choices will always be bold and consistent.” — Michael Despars, Fullerton Union High School
Riley Kluczynski
“Riley is a multi-faceted young woman. She can be shy and reserved, she can be wildly energetic. She can be very focused and committed. She is always respectful and kind. It is all these qualities that make her an excellent artistic director for our Aliso Niguel Theatre Company.”— Jeremy Golden, Aliso Niguel High School
Daisy Koprowski
“She is currently the lead role of Emily Webb in our school production of ‘Our Town’ and is rehearsing for ‘Mary Poppins’ as Jane Banks. Watching her audition for and rehearse ‘Our Town’ has brought tears to my eyes because she has the ability to understand what Emily is going through as she says her famous goodbyes to the world — she has a depth of understanding of character that is rare to see in high school.” — Emily Tucker, Capistrano Valley High School
Charlotte Krammer
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“Charlotte is a stealth talent. By that I mean when she gets on stage, she is a completely different person — a person who is connected and can tell a story with not only her voice but with her body. I would describe Charlotte as honest, energetic, and creative. These qualities are seen in her work both on and off stage.” — Michael Despars, Fullerton Union High School
Ze Xi Isaac Lee
“Isaac is a valuable and immensely talented member of our theatre and vocal music programs. He also exhibited strong leadership in creating lesson plans and implementing curriculum for our advanced drama class and has also somehow managed to maintain excellent academic status. … His kindness and ability to light up the stage as well as a rehearsal room is a breath of fresh air.” — Danyelle Bossardet, Northwood High School
Isabella Melinda Marcelo
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“My favorite thing about Isabella is her humble and joyous spirit. There is no role too small, no opportunity beneath her. I added a non-speaking role in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ this fall just so I could include Isabella in a scene. I worried that she would be disappointed not to have a larger part, but she was only appreciative of the opportunity to create a character and help tell the story. I don’t have many high school students who would so eagerly assume a tacit cameo appearance and play it with such complexity and nuance.” — Susan Lord, Laguna Hills High School
Christian McCleary
“Christian is a gifted actor and singer who I have watched grow up on stage. It has been a joy to see him grow from a little mouse in Cinderella to a lead actor on the stage of San Clemente High School. Christian gives his heart and soul to every role he plays — studying his characters with deep analysis. His passion for theater has grown each year, and he truly has a fire lit in him to pursue his passion of performing.” — Ella Wyatt, San Clemente High School
Lily McWatters
“Lily exemplifies what it means to be a good human and artist. In my opinion, Lily is a humble, personable, and driven leader who continuously supports her peers and makes those around her want to live up to her example. Without fail, Lily has demonstrated her ability to be an artist, leader, and a scholar.” — Michael Despars, Fullerton Union High School
Marin Meredith Morgan
“Marin has a natural talent for the stage. She is well versed in stage acting and has excellent comedic and dramatic flare. She also has a passion for musical theatre and was cast in our last full-scale musical, directly before the COVID shutdown. Marin is able to take even the most outlandish character and ground her with a touch of reality and comedic style.” — Taylor Finnerty, Trabuco Hills High School
Jaelin Morris-Orchen
“Jaelin’s story is unique. He loves acting, but began his high school career playing basketball, as a promising athlete — he soon realized his heart was for theatre, and has, for four years devoted himself to the perfection of his craft. I call him “gentle Jaelin” because of his kindness, compassion and inclusivity of all people.” — Angela Ward, Pacifica Christian High School
Makayla Palos Rodriguez
“Makayla has a wisdom beyond her years when she steps on the stage. She instinctively knows how to communicate the core of a character and does so effortlessly. Not only that but she is a collaborator in the room, bringing her ideas and research into every rehearsal. Her rock solid foundation helps elevate the performances of everyone around her.” — Michael Betts, Trinitas Arts Conservatory
Sydney Parker
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“Words alone cannot describe the talent that is Sydney Parker. You have to see her in action. Sydney is humble, creative, and unafraid to tap into her humanity when she is on stage. Her work is explosive and meaningful even when she is not a leading character. It is rare to teach a student who is fearless when on stage. One who experiments. One who takes major risks without prompting. That is Sydney.” — Michael Despars, Fullerton Union High School
Sohani Pawan
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“Sohani is a valuable and immensely talented member of our theatre programs. She also exhibits strong leadership sharing what she has learned from attending South Coast Repertory Theatre with our advanced drama class and has also somehow managed to maintain excellent academic status. Sohani is a dedicated theatre arts student and we witnessed the extent of her dedication during the spring production of ‘The Ash Girl’ in which she played Princess Zehra. Her character development made her a standout performer and it is abundantly clear that she is a natural.” — Danyelle Bossardet, Northwood High School
Austyn Perrone
“His strength, in addition to his talent and tenacity, put him in a category of his own. The way in which he has been able to balance being a leading role in most productions in his tenure, as well as being able to guide his peers through stage management, and student direction this year has shown his true capabilities in performing and leading. He is always prepared long before asked to be, and regardless of his age has truly been a leader on any project he has been a part of.” — Nathan Longdon, Dana Hills High School
Kaia Podd
“Kaia Podd is a fearless actor, a generous artist, and one of the hardest workers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. When given a note, Kaia applies it with 100% commitment. Whenever I am in need of an actor for an extracurricular activity, I call on Kaia because I know she will be responsible for all the extra rehearsals and put on a great performance. Recently, she participated in an arts festival held in our local community. Kaia was the first person I thought of to represent our theatre department.” — Jenny McClintock, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts
Jake Reeves
“Jake has taken his training seriously and has put into practice each of the techniques he has been taught. Jake is a fearless performer who is willing to take risks. He fully commits to characters and connects emotionally to them. He is dependable, conscientious, and a driven person who works to inspire others as opposed to compete with them. He has been a standout, finding real moments even though he was not the focus of the scene.” — Dan Pacheco, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
Noah Reynen
“In the fall of his Junior year he snagged the lead role of Chris Bean in ‘The Play that Goes Wrong,’ for which we went on to win first place in Orange County for the California Educational Theatre Association festival. … Our show was then chosen as the ‘Audience Favorite’ out of the top four shows from Southern California, due in large part to Noah’s masterful performance. I was extremely impressed with his comedic timing, physicality, and unique choices. He was very dedicated to the character and the show overall.” — Emily Tucker, Capistrano Valley High School
Riya Roy
“Riya is a strong and courageous performer with wisdom and wit that comes through in her performance choices. Down to earth and gracious, Riya is also very coachable and a pleasure to direct. Her Helena in our production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ was lovely – with the perfect combination of vulnerability and comedic verve.” ∞ Danyelle Bossardet, Northwood High School
Kristina Sabad
“She demonstrates professionalism beyond her years and leads by example through her drive, confidence, positivity, and dedication that is a constant source of inspiration to those around her. Kristina Sabad has always had a heart for the theatre, but what has been very refreshing about her as an artist, is that since her interests range from sports, to political activism, to visual and performing arts- she is a well rounded thinker that gives her a very unique perspective when it comes to making acting choices, but also growing as an artist.” — Cambria Graff, San Juan Hills High School
Emerson Grace Schonfelder
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“As an actor, Emerson has the uncanny ability to take a character and truly make it her own. She spends the time that is needed to take a role from its infancy, and truly have the character grow through the rehearsal process, culminating at its “peak” on opening night. As an audience member you will find yourself looking for Emerson on stage because, quite frankly she is captivating.” — Antonio Moon, Beckman High School
Shay Seymour
“Shay is always the first person to volunteer for any task, no matter how menial. It is an incredible quality in a young man of his talents. Peers see this guy that often plays leads — and strongly — and then see him work hard and tireless work for the betterment of the show and company. Too often, actors given frequent lead roles, especially at young ages, can get full of themselves and become bad influences on younger actors. Shay could not be further from that. Shay serves as the office manager for our company. This role is not high-profile, but requires a commitment and work ethic to keep our space organized. It fits his skillset well.
