Tesoro Cappie members, junior Ariana Gomez and sophomore Abby Jacobs, received prestigious recognition as distinguished writers for the Orange County Cappie Organization (OCC) this past semester. Gomez earned first place for her critical review of Los Alamitos’s rendition of Charlotte's Web, while Jacobs was awarded third place for her analysis of the same production. Gomez also won first place for her review of JSerra Catholic’s 12 Angry Jurors and second place for Corona Del Mar’s She Kills Monsters.
All are impressive feats considering the hundreds of Cappie members in Orange County alone.
The Cappies Critic program is an entirely student-run international program with nine locations in the United States and one in Canada. Participating schools in each location select members with eloquent and engaging writing styles through a difficult application process. After training each member as a critic, Cappies attend other high school productions and write their own opinions and reviews. This year, nine Tesoro students made the cut as Cappie members and have published seven reviews so far.
In addition to recognizing student opinions and their writing efforts, the Cappie Critic Program also awards stand-out high schools. Tesoro won 11 Cappie awards in the 2021-2022 school year: most notably winning Overall Best Musical for Legally Blonde, edging out the other 26 schools in the Orange County Chapter.
Being a second-year member, Gomez credits the program “for honing my writing skills and teaching me to appreciate all aspects of high school theater.”
“The welcoming environment and the opportunity to meet other high school students who feel their voice matters to the program is so valuable,” adds Jacobs who is in her first year as a Cappie.
Without a doubt, being a part of the Cappie Critic Program has been a bonding experience for the duo with memories from the Cappie Cars to attending the Cappie Gala award shows. But above all, they both point out, “We are grateful for the organization’s spirit to celebrate high school theater.”
To read their reviews, go to- https://www.occappies.com/reviews-22-23