Critics and Awards Program For High School Students - Organization and Process

Organization and Process

Each regional program has a Steering Committee, with a charter from The Cappies. These are volunteers who oversee the work done by critics and teacher-mentors (who are also volunteers), and who then produce the Cappies Gala. Participating schools select one show (a play or a musical) as their Cappies show. (Some smaller Cappies programs allow schools to select two shows.) The schools also select teachers to be mentors, who supervise the student critics and help maintain the integrity of the review-writing process. Before the season begins, the mentors and critics receive training from Cappies officials and are often aided by local journalists.

On the night of a Cappies show, the critics arrive early, attend the performance, and hold private discussions beforehand, during intermission, and after the show. Afterward, they do a preliminary awards evaluation, selecting who will be on the Cappie awards ballot at the end of the year. After returning home, each critic writes a 200- to 600-word review. The mentors select the reviews they consider the most honest, objective, and best-written, which are then forwarded to local newspapers, many of whom publish these reviews with student bylines.

Critics are encouraged to write real reviews, differentiating between shows that are outstanding and those that fall short in various ways. Cappies reviews can and usually do include criticisms, but these should be objective and fair. Also, individuals responsible for a problem should not be named. For example, if a vocalist sings off-key, a critic may state that as an issue in the show, but may not identify the vocalist. With these rules, the Cappies program reflects a consensus among theater teachers, that at the high school level, criticisms are appropriate if they are constructive, not if they are harsh, sarcastic, or personal.

After awards voting, each program then holds a Cappies Gala to present Cappie awards and to celebrate the year’s shows. Sometimes these Galas are held at a high school, other times at major theater venues. The Cappies of the National Capital Area holds its Gala in the Concert Hall of the Kennedy Center; the center's largest performance space.These Galas are formal and generally include local V.I.P. award presenters, along with performances of songs or scenes from nominated shows. They usually run from two-and-a-half to three hours and some are televised.