From a shortlist of 177 nominees, the following 15 students were selected as semi-finalists for Artist of the Year 2022 in Theatre. Students were chosen by a panel of teachers based on written statements, performance videos or design portfolios and artistic CVs.

Included are links to their work, the specialty in which they were nominated, and quotes on how they relate to their craft.

Theater artists were nominated in the specialties of theatre, musical comedy and theater design.

During the final round of selection, students are interviewed by a panel of distinguished arts professionals and faculty members from Southern California universities. Interviews include a live presentation by the students followed by a Q&A session.

A finalist in each specialty will be named as well as an artist of the year in each of the seven disciplines – theatre, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, cinema, visual arts crafts and computer-aided visual arts.

The artists of the year will be announced on May 1.

This program is generously sponsored by Chapman University College of Performing Arts. Additional support is provided by Laguna College of Art + Design and Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Artist of the Year program, contact Heide Janssen at ocartistoftheyear@gmail.com.

Cassidy Butscher, Junior, Mater Dei High School

Speciality: Theatrical design (costume design)

See the artist’s portfolio

“(Art) creates an experience for the viewer, it immerses him in a new world. This is especially true of my costume art form. The costume creates a new reality and leads people to escape into the world the artist has created. Good costumes visually and emotionally draw the audience and actors into the story until they are completely engrossed in it. It’s not as simple as finding something for the actor to wear.

Bella De Marco, Senior, Tesoro High School

Speciality: Acting

“I’ve been performing since I was six, but didn’t really realize my passion until 8th grade. At a local community theater, I performed as Morticia in ‘The Addams Family.’ It was during that show that I realized that I wanted to perform for the rest of my life. … I created so many connections with people that remain strong to this day. Having that community, especially in a difficult time of my life, made me realize that I will always have a home in the theater. The rehearsals were amazing, but the best part of the whole experience was performing in front of an audience. I was full of joy before each scene.

Jadyn Fox, Senior, San Juan Hills High School

Speciality: Theatrical design (scenography)

See the artist’s portfolio

“People always say that anyone can be an artist, that the skills to create art can be mastered in a day. Because of statements like this, I didn’t consider myself an artist until to recently.As I worked and learned more about the process that goes along with theatrical design, I began to see more clearly what separates an artist from anyone who makes art.…Being an artist n It’s not as simple as creating something, it’s understanding the reasoning and impact of what you create.

Delaney Giraudi, Junior, Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Speciality: Musical theater performance

“My goal for the future is to be a performer, and that can mean a lot of things, whether it’s in film, TV or on stage. For me, acting isn’t just acting or singing but telling a story. When I was little, I always imagined little stories in my head and created these complex plots that only I knew and were aware of. I found this habit transferred into the scene, because I could play these stories in their entirety, maybe even in the future writing my own.

Sean Kato, senior, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts

Speciality: Musical theater performance

“My parents took me to the theater a lot when I was young, especially to watch my brother. The show that sparked my passion for musical theater most vividly, however, was ‘Matilda.’ stage, having so much fun and having such powerful voices filled with confidence and independence made me say, “I want to do this.”

Tanner Lloyd, senior, San Clemente High School

Speciality: Acting

“I love being an actor because it’s subjective. There’s such a fluidity in art, and since there’s no concrete definition of how it should be presented, there’s an infinite margin for the mind to explore many concepts. Unlike sports, an actor is not under pressure to be the best in the sense that an athlete would be. What matters most is how the work of art of an actor moves people.

Sophia Madrigal, Senior, Orange County School of the Arts

Speciality: Acting

“Of the many gifts theater has given me, the greatest has been a platform to tell Indigenous stories. Storytelling is an integral part of Indigenous culture. For centuries, the lifeblood of our culture has been the stories passed down orally from generation to generation. My love of theater begins with Indigenous stories. As an Indigenous actor, I have always been aware of the lack of Indigenous representation in the arts. The mainstream narrative in the United States lacks the indigenous experience – the stories of the first peoples and the wisdom embedded in them.

Lauren Mei, Junior, Orange County School of the Arts

Speciality: Acting

“As an artist, I want those who experience my work to gain empathy for themselves and for others around them. Art is unlike any other medium in that it touches the most sensitive parts of humanity. As an artist, I want to use this aspect of my work to help others welcome the brutality of humanity and embrace the human experience. In the future, I hope to continue to share the stories of underrepresented people and expose other communities to artistic interpretations of the Asian American experience.

Bailey Moroson, senior, San Juan Hills High School

Speciality: Acting

“Since I was growing up, I’ve been incredibly connected to my Jewish heritage; however, I never really felt the depth of its beauty and deeply influential story until it was presented to me in theatrical form. After becoming well acquainted with child-friendly performances, one of the first mature works of art I saw was “Number the Stars”. Based on a true story, it made me discover the kind of effect I could achieve, just like Lois Lowry, telling this authentic and tragic story in an art form I didn’t know was possible. .

Roger Nguyen, Senior, Fountain Valley Secondary School

Speciality: Musical theater performance

“I hope to spread the ‘spark of inspiration’ that every artist has and tell meaningful stories to the people who most need to hear them. I want my art to touch people and guide them to see the world differently, just like the shows I’ve done and the characters I’ve played have guided me. The moments when I express myself through the art of theater are the moments when I myself am the most authentic, raw and proud, even if it is only a facet of myself; I hope to continue this personal journey.

Nikki Ocampo, Senior, Los Alamitos High School

Specialty: Acting

“I plan to create and perform in projects with positive portrayals of minorities and create works about my Asian-American identity to encourage other Asian artists to realize that they have a place in theatre. … In the Most theater sets I feel isolated because of the lack of diversity, however that feeling goes away when I see someone who looks like me performing on stage or being the artist leading a workshop. comfort for someone in the theater, my mission as an artist is accomplished.

Mikayla Procter, Senior, Tesoro High School

Speciality: Musical theater performance

“My love for theater and the stage is so great, and I will never forget the first time I sat in a real theater on Broadway. That moment was surreal. Me, at eleven years old, I was so amazed and impressed with the people on this stage, and my goal is to make others feel that. One day, I hope that I will be the inspiration for young artists like me now to pursue the arts, and that I have the honor of being the actress on stage for a child’s first Broadway show.

Bridgette Sanders, junior, Trinitas Arts Conservatory

Speciality: Musical theater performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3P72VO7Wxs

“My parents remember being flabbergasted at the sight of their shy daughter dancing and singing exuberantly on that stage (during my first musical performance in ‘The Wizard of Oz’). They say my eyes lit up in a way they had never seen. They remember it as a change in me; I remember it as the place where I found myself.

Caleb Smith, Senior, Mission Viejo High School

Speciality: Acting

“My artistic expression is embodied through many different mediums. My goal as an artist is to portray a variety of characters through acting, singing, and musical theater performance, eliciting emotions and expressing meaningful perspectives on society to audiences. Wanting to expand my artistic abilities, I also started exploring graphic design and culinary arts over the past two years. I feel more complete as an artist because my reach has expanded into these additional areas.

Brooklyn Vizcarra, senior, Orange County School of the Arts

Speciality: Musical theater performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY4krihflvA

“I want to teach! I want to have the ability to inspire others, to create more and more artists in this world. … It is quite impossible to make the world a better place when we create a negative, judgmental and judgmental environment. In the future, I want to be someone to look up to. I want people to feel good about themselves and have the confidence to stand up for themselves. I never want to invalidate feelings because they are important in any way.