TheatreMcLean has been nominated for seven Cappies awards for their production of “Lord of the Flies.”

“Cappies is a student-led theatre awards program, kind of like the Tonys for high school theatre,” said senior Kristen Waagner, who played the role of Jack. “Critics see shows, review them, and at the end of the year, vote on awards that are presented at the Kennedy Center.”

“Lord of the Flies” was a unique show, with the cast and crew having to work together to bring a classic novel to the stage.

“I loved how different we were able to make the designs for this show,” makeup crew co-head senior Cassi Creason said. “It was so unlike any production I’ve worked on, and the designs kind of focused on what I think is the most fun about theatrical [and] special effects makeup.”

The members of TheatreMcLean were all very excited to hear the news of the seven Cappies nomination which included Best Play, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Set, Hair and Makeup, Special Effects, and Props.

“It’s so exciting to have worked on a show that critics enjoyed and thought was worthy of awards and being honored,” head of set decoration junior Rebecca Blacksten said.

For the seniors, the nominations were a nice send off gift as this was their last production for TheatreMcLean.

“It was really exciting to get nominated,” scenic designer Piper Phillips said. “I’ve been doing this for four years without any recognition and a lot of have, so it was nice to go out strong.”

The McLean Cappies team also received six Cappies nominations, five individual critic awards and Best Critic Team. Senior Kristen Waagner received a nomination for both her portrayal of Jack, which earned her a Best Lead Actress in a Play nomination, and for her position on the McLean Cappies team, being nominated for the Bill Strauss Graduating Critic award.

“It’s really cool to be recognized, but it’s important to remember that awards do not represent the value of the work we did,” Waagner said. “In my opinion, the most exciting part of being nominated is getting to perform on the stage of the Kennedy Center.”

The awards will be presented on May 27 at the Kennedy Center, where TheatreMcLean hopes to be taking home some awards for all their hard work and dedication.

“I’m so proud of all of us for working so hard,” Creason said. “It’s nice to be recognized for our efforts and I think we did a really good job with such an unconventional show.”