CAPPIES OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA

The Cappies is an international, learning program for theatre and journalism students. Our mission is to:

* provide a unique, collaborative, learning experience for high-school theatre students,
* encourage, and advance the training of, student writers, performing artists, and technical crew,
* inspire creativity and critical thinking,
* offer constructive, critical feedback for student theatrical endeavors,
* foster more community recognition of student achievement in theatre arts, and
* enhance, celebrate, and add excitement to high-school theatre.

Students are trained as theatre critics and organized into Critics' Teams. They attend other schools' plays and musicals, and write reviews. Mentors (teachers) lead Critic discussions and select the most accurate and well-written reviews, which are forwarded to local print or online media for publication.

At the end of the year, Critics serve as award judges and vote for Cappie nominations and awards. Each chapter holds a Cappies gala, where awards are presented.

The Cappies program is overseen by a governing board, which includes the Cappies program director and the Cappies program chair. Each regional chapter is managed by a steering committee, which includes a local program director and a local program chair.

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, but 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 schools, and 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 VIP 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.

Now completing our 20th season, across the larger program - on average, we're seeing 800 critics attending performances and writing reviews. In our 20th season, we've had roughly 16,340 student written reviews, and 3,200 submitted to media partners for publication. As of 2018 season, we've issued 8,177 awards to students for their performances in shows as determined by their peers.