Check back as we investigate our History and show off a little. If you are an Alum of the Theater Department, let us know what you are up to so we can brag about you too!
Notable Alumni
Obie Diaz (1999 – First Magnet Graduating Class)
- WWKA 92.3 FM Orlando
Michael Parrish DuDell (2000)
- Entrepreneur, Keynote Speaker, Best Selling Author
Katharine Sullivan-Dawes (2000)
- Producer, Snug Harbor Productions
Danyelle Williamson (2002)
- Rocky (Broadway)
- Scandalous (Broadway)
- Memphis (Broadway)
- Lion King (Broadway)
- Lion King (National Tour)
- Wicked (Chicago)
Hayden Milanes (2002)
- Jersey Boys (National Tour)
Taylor Trensch (2007)
- Dear Evan Hansen (Broadway)
- Hello Dolly (Broadway)
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Broadway)
- Matilda the Musical (Broadway)
- Wicked (Broadway)
- Bare (Off-Broadway)
- Rent (Off-Broadway)
- Little Miss Sunshine (La Jolla)
- Spring Awakening (National Tour – Denver Post Ovation Award for Best Supporting Actor in a National Tour)
Shannon Magrane (2014)
- American Idol Top 11 Finalist
Owen Teague (2017)
- Bloodline: Season 1-3 (Netflix Series)
- Stephen King’s It (Feature Film)
- Dark Mirror
- Every Day
2018/2019
- Voted Best High School Drama Program in Tampa Bay by Creative Loafing Readers Poll
- Voted Best Theater Company in Tampa Bay by Creative Loafing Readers Poll
- Voted Best Local Production in Tampa Bay for Side Show by Creative Loafing Readers Poll
- Voted Best Director for Sean Paris in Tampa Bay by Creative Loafing Readers Poll
- Voted Best Local Actor in Tampa Bay for Luke McAndrew by Creative Loafing Readers Poll
2019 Florida State Thespian Festival
- Animal Farm One Act received Top Honors
- Top honors for Duet Musical (McAndrew and Zimmerman)
- Superiors in:
- 2 Duet Musical (Sobel and Sobel, and Ginty and Kinsley)
- Student Directed
- Monologue
- Costume Construction
Broadway Star of the Future Awards
- Best Set Design
- Best Music Direction
Broadway Star of the Future Nominees
- Dashawn McClinton (Outstanding Actor)
- Shelby Zimmerman (Outstanding Actress)
- Kayla Ginty (Outstanding Actress)
- Emily McAndrew (Outstanding Actress)
- Cymiah Alexander (Outstanding Actress)
- Alexandra Kinsley (Outstanding Actress)
- McKayla Whiteside (Outstanding Actress)
- Chris Reinhardt (Outstanding Actor)
- Kyle Mogg (Outstanding Performer)
- Nicholas Spataro (Outstanding Performer)
- Outstanding Direction
District 9 Thespian Festival
Participation in 43 events
8 of 14 Critics’ Choice
- Duet Musical
- Ensemble Acting
- Costume Construction
- Duet Musical
- Student Directed Scene
- Monologue
- Ensemble Acting
- Pantomime
6 of 14 Alternate Critics’ Choice
- Ensemble Acting
- Duet Musical
- Choreography
- Small Group Musical
- Costume Design
- Monologue
31 Superiors
12 Excellents
District 9 One-Act Festival
- Best Play Selection for State – Animal Farm
- Superior – Animal Farm
- All star cast – SarahMcFadden
- Best Supporting Actor – Kyle Mogg
- Best Set Design
Scholarships / Awards / Recognitions
- The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarship – Kayla Ginty
Workshops & Talkbacks
- Broadway Master Class – Tyler Hardwick from Broadway’s Once on this Island
- Broadway Master Class – Afra Hines from Broadway’s Summer, Hamilton, Shuffle Along, Motown, Soul Doctor, Ghost, In the Heights, Wicked, and Rockettes
- Broadway Master Class – Francesca Granell from Broadway’s Cats
- Lighting Workshop – Abby May (Blake Alum)
- Makeup Workshop – Melvin Lozada
- Musical Theater Master Class – Matt Morgan of the University of Florida
Professional Debuts
- Deanna Chess (Stageworks)
- Dashawn McClinton (Stageworks)
- Brinley Degwert (Stageworks and American Stage)
- Will Sobel (Stageworks)
- Hannah Lehrer (Stageworks)
- Ethan Guear (Stageworks – Stagemanager)
- Jack Sobel (Stageworks – Assistant Director)
- Fiona Walsh Calton – Innovacative Theatre
Professional / Community partnerships
- Stageworks Theatre
- American Stage
- Creative Loafing
Other Points of Pride
- Hannah Lehrer was tapped to begin Theater Reviews targeting area high school students
- Blake Theater Football Nights
- Student Director Series
2017/2018
Voted Best High School Drama Program in Tampa Bay by Creative Loafing Reader’s Poll
Voted Best Director for Sean Paris in Tampa Bay by Creative Loafing Readers Poll
2018 Florida State Thespian Festival Main Stage Selection
- Side Show (1 of only 8 shows selected out of 30 statewide)
- Superior Rating
- Urinetown selected for One acts – Superior Rating
Broadway Star of the Future Awards
- Outstanding Musical – Side Show
- Outstanding Lead Actor – Luke McAndrew (Side Show) – Finalist
- Outstanding Lead Actress – Emma Friedman (Side Show)
- Outstanding Lead Actress – Noa Friedman (Side Show)
- Outstanding Supporting Performer- Emily McAndrew (Side Show)
- Outstanding Orchestra – Side Show
- Outstanding Music Direction – Side Show
- Outstanding Technical Achievement – Side Show
- Outstanding Musical – Songs for a New World
- Outstanding Lead Actor – Luke McAndrew (Songs for a New World)
- Outstanding Lead Actress – Rebekah Vallejo (Songs for a New World) – Finalsit
- Outstanding Lead Actress – Emily McAndrew (Songs for a New World) – Finalist
- Outstanding Supporting Performer – Alex Council (Songs for a New World)
- Outstanding Supporting Performer – Eve Bennett (Songs for a New World)
- Outstanding Musical – Songs for a New World
- Outstanding Direction – Songs for a New World
- Outstanding Musical Direction – Songs for a New World
- Outstanding Orchestra – Songs for a New World
- Outstanding Set Design – Songs for a New World
- Outstanding Stage Management – Songs for a New World
Additional Nominations
- Outstanding Costume Design – Songs for a New World
- Outstanding Lighting Design – Songs for a New World
District 9 Thespian Festival
Participation in 48 events
District 9 State Representative for Technical Theater
- Student Directed Scene
9 of 14 Critics’ Choice
- Monologue
- Duet Acting
- Ensemble Acting
- Solo Musical
- Duet Musical
- Small Group Musical
- Scene Design
- Choreography
- Student Directed Scene
8 of 14 Alternate Critics’ Choice
- Duet Acting
- Ensemble Acting
- Pantomime
- Solo Musical
- Duet Musical
- Scene Design
- Student Directed Scene
- Costume Design
44 Superiors
4 Excellents
District 9 One-Act Festival
- Best Play Selection for State – Urinetown the musical
- Superior – Urinetown the musical
- Best Actress in a comedy – Madison Potantus
- Best Supporting Actress in a comedy – Bekah Vallejo
- All-star Cast Member – Alex Council
Florida State Thespian Festival
- Superior – One Act / Urinetown
- Superior – Student Directed scene
- Superior – Solo Musical
- Superior – Monologue
- Superior – Ensemble Acting
- Superior – Set Design
- Superior – Duet Musical
Scholarships / Awards / Recognitions
- District 9 Scholarship Award – Emma Friedman
- District 9 Scholarship Award – Noa Friedman
- The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarship – Noa Friedman
Workshops & Talkbacks
- Audition workshop with award-winning actress Laura Buglioli
- Film Acting workshop with award-winning actress Alison Burns and Actor Chris Jackson
- Design workshop / Class visit with NY designer Andrew Licout
- Dance Workshop with Troy Jansen
- Costume Worksop with Mary Kraack
- Campus Visit with University of Florida Department of Theater and Dance
- Campus visit and workshop with American Music and Dramatic Academy
- New York City Workshop with Broadway Actor Tyler Hardwick
2016/2017
Broadway Star of the Future Awards
- Outstanding Musical – Violet
- Outstanding Lead Actor Finalist – Cameron LeVine (Violet)
- Outstanding Lead Actress – Summer Hoop (Violet)
- Outstanding Lead Actress – Eve Bennett (Violet)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor – Alex Council
- Outstanding Set Design – Violet
- Outstanding Orchestra – Violet
- Outstanding Direction – Sean Paris (Violet)
- Outstanding Student Choreography – Madison Potantus (Violet)
- Outstanding Lighting Design – Ben Phillips (Violet)
District 9 Thespian Festival
Participation in 50 events
District 9 State Representative
- Duet Acting
District 9 Alternate State Representative for Technical Theater
- Costume Construction
6 Critics’ Choice
- Costume Construction
- Student Directed Scene
- Duet Acting
- Duet Musical
- Large Group Musical
- Pantomime
6 Alternate Critics’ Choice
- Set Design
- Costume Design
- Duet Musical
- Duet Acting
- Ensemble Acting
- Pantomime
37 Superiors
13 Excellents
District 9 One-Act Festival
- Superior – Full. the musical.
- Best Technical Crew
- Best Set Design
- Best Original Music
- Best Supporting Actor – Luke McAndrew
- All-star Cast Member – Summer Hoop
Florida State Thespian Festival
- Solo Musical – Superior
- Costume Construction – Superior
- Duet Acting – Superior
- Duet Musical – Excellent
- Costume Design – Excellent
- Student Directed Scene – Excellent
Professional Actor Debuts / Contracts
- Sebastian Hagelstein
- Stageworks Theater: Psycho Beach Party
- Owen Teague
- Bloodline: Season 2 (Netflix Series)
- Stephen King’s It (Feature Film)
- The Empty Man (Feature Film)
- Mercy Street (TV Series)
2015 / 2016
Professional Actor Debuts / Contracts
- Chris Hancock
- Stageworks Theater: Inherit the Wind
- Owen Teague
- Bloodline (Netflix Series)
District 9 Thespian Festival
Participation in 41 Events
District 9 State Representative
- Duet Musical
7 Critics’ Choice
- Pantomime
- Duet Acting A
- Duet Acting B
- Ensemble Acting
- Duet Musical
- Large Group Musical
- Scene Design
8 Critics Choice Alternate
- Pantomime
- Duet Musical A
- Duet Musical B
- Solo Musical C
- Large Group Musical
- Small Group Musical
- Scene Design
- Costume Design
37 Superiors
3 Excellents
District 9 One-Act Festival
- Superior & State Selection – The Exonerated
- Best Technical Crew
- Best Sound Design – Nick Albanese
- All-star Cast Member – Alex Givens
Florida State Thespian Festival
- One Act: The Exonerated – Superior
- Ensemble Acting – Superior
- Duet Acting – Superior
- Solo Musical – Superior
- Duet Musical – Excellent
- Costume Design – Excellent
- Set Design – Good
Scholarships / Awards / Recognitions
Workshops & Talkbacks
Clowning workshop with Matthew Bellapovlovich, formerly of Ringling Brothers circus.
Com media dell’Arte workshop with Jobsite Theater Artistic Director, David Jenkins
Lighting workshop with NYC-based lighting designer, Mike Wood
Talkback with “Light Rise on Grace” playwright, Chad Beckim
Audition Master Classes w/ Broadway Music Director, Michael Rafter
2014 / 2015
Professional Actor Debuts / Contracts
- Travis Brown
- Stageworks Theater: Superior Donuts
- Tampa Shakespeare Festival: Romeo & Juliet
- Tampa Shakespeare Festival: MacBeth
- David Friedman
- American Stage: The Chosen
- Nicholas Hoop
- Stageworks Theater: A Few Good Men
- Jobsite Theater: Twelfth Night
- Justin Levine
- American Stage: The Chosen
- Regan Moore
- American Stage: One Slight Hitch
- Tampa Shakespeare Festival: Romeo & Juliet
- Tampa Shakespeare Festival: MacBeth
- Shelby Ronea
- Sex Ed (Film)
- Owen Teague
- Bloodline (Netflix Series)
- Asolo Rep: The Matchmaker
- Echos of War (Film)
- Walt Before Mickey (Film)
District 9 Thespian Festival
Participation in 31 Events
District 9 State Representative
- Pantomime
6 Critics’ Choice
- Pantomime
- Duet Acting
- Duet Musical
- Set Design
- Costume Design
- Makeup
9 Critics Choice Alternate
- Ensemble Acting
- Large Group Musical
- Small Group Musical
- Duet Acting
- Duet Musical
- Monologue (A)
- Monologue (B)
- Solo Musical Theater (B)
- Solo Musical Theater (C)
29 Superiors
2 Excellents
District 9 One-Act Festival
- Superior & State Selection – Black Comedy
Florida State Thespian Festival
Critics’ Choice
- Duet Musical
Scholarships / Awards / Recognitions
- Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts Charlie Hounchell Arts Stars Scholarship $2,500
- Arts for Life! $2,000 (1 of only 25 in the state. Only one in Hillsborough County)
- The National Society of Arts and Letters Competition – First Place West Florida Chapter $2,000
- 2 (out of 5) plays selected for the Young Dramatists Project
Workshops & Talkbacks
Shakespeare Workshop with Giles Davies
Fosse Workshop with Diane Laurenson
Character Development workshop with Kelly Pekar
Rope and stage knot Workshop
Sewing Workshop with Mimsy Lombardi
Playwriting workshop with Gorilla Theater & Jonathan Cho
Actor Talk Back with David Sitler and Joseph Parra from American Stage’s production of The Chosen
Master Classes w/ Dr. Herendeen of Oklahoma City Univ.
Special Performances
Inspired by Hope Charitable Gala performance
