Members of the Drama Club received awards at the Drama Club Awards Banquet presented by club sponsors, Beth Barber, John Knight and Richard Winship, on the auditorium stage May 11.

According to Barber, each year the Drama Club Officers decide the ceremony’s theme. This year, the club hosted a safari-themed banquet.

Club historian, Raina Payne, says the Drama Club Officers decided on a safari theme because it was the easiest way to decorate the stage and buy the animal costumes.

Barber said that additional preparation for the show included purchasing food, drinks and the awards for the banquet.

There are 15 award recipients ranging from Best Actor to Best Performance in a Children’s Show. Some of the awards are also given to stage crew members such as, Best Non-performing Artist and Best Male and Female Technician.

Barber, Knight and Winship then choose 4-20 nominees (depending on the category) based on outstanding performances or actions throughout the year. According to Knight, members of the Drama Club then vote for the winner from the list of selected nominees.

Nicolette Tantillo and Tyler Ellis won the award for Most Dedicated to Theatre. Connor Smith and Sam Olah won Best Non-Performing Artists. Atticus Hebson and Molly Quinn won Best Actor and Actress and Jackson Reighard and Payne won Best Supporting Actor and Actress.

Tantillo says that receiving the award for Most Dedicated to Theatre made her feel accomplished.

“Drama is something that I really enjoy and appreciate in life; I put in a lot of time and energy into it,” Tantillo said. “[…] Being told that I was most dedicated to theater made me realize that others notice how committed I am to the department [and] I’m incredibly grateful.”

Eric Dembski, who starred in the spring play, Almost Maine, received the Neil H. Levin Second Annual Theatre Scholarship.

“Every year, at the Drama Banquet, the [scholarship] is given to a student who exhibits [exceptional] enthusiasm, charisma, and love for what they do,” Dembski said.

Freshman, Janie Kahan, won Rookie of the Year, an award given to two students who have joined Drama Club for the first time at South.

“It was really exciting to have received Rookie of the Year,” Kahan said. “Seeing how great the performances were this year makes me feel like I’m following a great legacy.”

Barber says that she felt the banquet as a whole was great.

“I thought that everything was fantastic,” Barber said. “The students [involvement] [and] the officers [involvement] put together an amazing evening from the dinner to the awards to the entertainment, everything was just fabulous. It was a wonderful night for everyone involved.”