OC Artist of the Year highlights the outstanding artists from Orange County. Those nominated are recognized for their commitment to the arts in the span of their high school careers.
This award and nomination highlights the importance of supporting local artists and encouraging them to further their passion past high school.
Nominees are selected via art advisors at schools and students must complete a series of applications, including videos of their performance, to have the opportunity to win the title of “OC Artist Of The Year.”
While this year no Aliso student was selected to win the title, the nominees presented outstanding achievements and commitments to their love and passion for theatre.
The nominees include: Ariel Christensen (12), Carson Adams (12), Ace Etienne (12), Olivia Irwin (12) and April Simpson (12).
Each of these students dedicated their entire high school career to theatre, and each learned vocal, acting and technical skills.
Ariel Christensen began her theatre career building sets for her freshman year play “Puffs.” As times shifted to musicals, Christensen had a passion for another aspect: hair and makeup. Christensen spent a total of four shows working as a part of hair and makeup, and she designed three of those shows.
At the end of her junior year, Christensen found her calling elsewhere: on-stage. Finishing her high school career with three main-stage productions and being a large feature in her senior play.
With endless drive to better herself and determination, Christensen proved her ongoing love for the arts.
“Theatre became a place I could call home early on. It was nice having the opportunity to build new relationships and skills. I would not give up this opportunity for anything,” shares Christensen.
With a different start to high school theatre, Adams was able to perform in his first high school production of “Puff.” That first show as a freshman built a large passion for Adams, and left him wanting to increase his skills within theatre.
Adams took a hiatus for the spring musical to test his skills within technical elements such as lights crew. After one semester out of the spotlight, Adams knew the stage was where he belonged, as he continued acting for the next six shows.
While not all parts were leads, Carson is able to end his high school acting career with one last bow, as he takes the lead as Spongebob in “Spongebob The Musical.” With this drive for theatre, Adams is ready to dedicate his professional life to the arts and carry out acting as his career post high school.
Etienne has dreamed of becoming an actor since a young age. He spent countless hours working to build his characters and finding himself in them. With being part of every production since a freshmen, Etienne has proven himself a shining star.
With taking a lead in the fall play as Francis in “One Man, Two Guvnors” and taking the iconic role of Squidward in “Spongebob the Musical,” Etienne proves his ongoing drive within the theatre community.
Irwin has been a face seen throughout the theatre. From going from crew, to designing, to acting and then to directing. Irwin has been an on-going threat with her immense talent to do it all. Irwin had dreamed of directing and accomplished it in her senior year production of “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.”
Irwin juggled the challenges of directing a hefty show, whilst still being a star student and finding time to rehearse as the character Karen in “Spongebob The Musical.”
Olivia wants to dedicate her career in guiding the youth to love theatre as much as she does. Irwin aspires to be a theatre teacher herself and further the love of arts that she has grown up with.
“I have always had the ability to watch my teachers and directly guide teenagers through the motions of acting and to do that myself one day is a true dream,” shares Irwin.
Finally Simpson has been an actress known for her iconic roles. She takes the audience by shock while performing such duality within her characters.
In recent performances, Simpson’s comedic energy lit up the stage in her performance of “One Man, Two Guvnors,” “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” and “Spongebob The Musical.”
Simpson’s ability to take the audience’s attention with any bold choice she makes proves her ongoing ability to work hard and do her best.
Each of these nominees prove themselves to be the dedicated art lovers that “OC Artist Of The Year” appreciates. While none made it to the final, they each truly took a bold choice and committed to them.
