National Theatre School DramaFest provides HDSB students a platform for connection, creativity and provincial recognition

Halton District School Board students took centre stage at this year’s National Theatre School (NTS) DramaFest, capturing major provincial accolades, thousands of dollars in scholarships and a coveted spot in the provincial showcase.

The NTS DramaFest, formerly known as the Sears Ontario Drama Festival, celebrated its 80th year of bringing thousands of young theatre creators together across the country. For HDSB students, the festival proved to be an invaluable landscape for real-world skill development, artistic expression and profound personal growth.

The journey began at the district level, where three HDSB secondary schools—M.M. Robinson High School, Burlington Central School and Nelson High School—advanced to the West Regional festival in Gravenhurst. From there, Nelson High School’s student-written production, Disconnected, was selected as one of only two plays to move forward, representing the HDSB as one of the top 12 shows in the entire province at the prestigious Provincial Showcase.

Disconnected, written by Nelson High School students August Frade, Michelle Stern and Zainab Majid, struck a powerful chord with audiences and adjudicators alike. The play follows a group of teenagers navigating a world consumed by an invasive AI app called 'GOPHER.' The characters take it upon themselves to re-educate their classmates on the critical elements of humanity that are lost when relying entirely on artificial intelligence – namely empathy, critical thinking and genuine human communication.

The production earned sweeping recognition across all three levels of competition:

• District Stage Management Award:  Maya MacLachlan

• Awards of Excellence for Playwriting: August Frade, Michelle Stern and Zainab Majid

• Award of Excellence for Lighting, Sound, and Multimedia Design: Camheron Mulhern, Lily Agnew and Elijah Moore

• Award of Excellence for Choreography: Cecelia Sheehan

• The Mira Award (Provincial Showcase): Awarded to Elijah Moore for outstanding multimedia design (one of only six handed out across Ontario)

Beyond the production awards, two graduating Nelson students achieved a rare provincial honour. Out of only four Ken & Ann Watts Memorial Scholarships awarded across all of Ontario, two were claimed by August Frade and Cecelia Sheehan. The scholarship, valued at $4,000 ($1,000 per year), recognizes graduating students who demonstrate exceptional passion and commitment to the arts in their schools and are pursuing post-secondary arts programs.

HDSB secondary schools are home to vibrant Arts departments offering comprehensive programming in Drama, Music and Visual Arts. Supported by dedicated educators and enriched through performance, exhibition and co-curricular opportunities, these programs provide students with meaningful experiences that nurture creativity, build confidence and contribute to the fulsome educational experience that defines the HDSB student journey.

Marisa Cavataio, Department Head of Arts and a Drama and French Immersion Drama teacher at Nelson High School, emphasizes that the benefits of the festival extend far beyond the trophy case.

“NTS DramaFest is a drama festival that promotes collaboration, risk-taking, creativity and storytelling in a safe and nurturing environment,” Cavataio says. “It allows students to tell stories that are relevant to them and often written and/or directed by them. Participants are given the opportunity to be adjudicated by industry professionals. The festival also offers workshops in a variety of options for students to choose from, such as special effects makeup, musical theatre choreography and stage combat. Years after graduating, former students will often reach out to me and name the festival as the highlight of their high school career.”

For the scholarship recipients, the arts have provided a foundational sense of identity and community throughout their high school careers.

"I think it’s easy to look at theatre kids as people who want to stand out and be in the spotlight, but in reality, we’re just looking for a place to feel normal," reflects August, who participated in the festival four times across acting, writing and directing disciplines. "NTS is, to put it simply, theatre kid heaven. Through all these experiences, I became a more confident and comfortable version of myself, and I owe it all to my amazing community." August will be attending York University’s Creative Writing program this fall.

Cecelia, who is headed to Sheridan College for the Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance program, echoes how the performing arts build essential life skills that translate far beyond the stage.

"The arts have taught me discipline and hard work through long rehearsals, consistent training and learning how to keep going even when something is difficult. It has also taught me confidence by pushing me to be vulnerable, take risks and trust myself," Cecelia says. "Most importantly, it taught me belonging. Rehearsals and the stage have been a second home and a place I can go to be myself. I want to keep learning, keep challenging myself and become a role model for the younger generation in theatre to look up to like I had when I was in their spot."