Weather 
By Aaron Krause
Alec Avila, who discovered in third grade that theater was his “life’s passion,” has spent years performing in community theater across Miami-Dade County. During that time, the same question repeatedly surfaced at studios and theater companies: Why didn’t Miami have its own awards program for high school theater students?
This year, The Arshties provides that answer. The program, which recognizes student achievement while offering training and mentorship opportunities for young theater artists, is concluding its inaugural year with a showcase and awards ceremony on May 16 at the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall.
The Arshties exists to “better support and elevate the incredible musical theater talent across Miami-Dade County,” said Jenita Nakamura, Arshties Director and Senior Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Arsht.
“Schools all across Miami-Dade County are producing great musicals, and we are thrilled to provide a platform that both celebrates that work and connects students to professional-level training and opportunities,” Nakamura said. “The Arshties help fill that gap by combining recognition with real-world preparation.”
BROWARD’S PIONEER PROGRAM CAPPIES
While the Arshties is a new program, it joins an established ecosystem of theater education in South Florida. For more than 24 years, the South Florida Cappies program has trained high school students to review local theater productions, culminating in an annual awards gala.
The Cappies program “goes far beyond a single gala celebration,” said Lori Sessions, its founder and chairperson. It is a critics and awards program in which high school students attend and review school productions of plays and musicals. FloridaTheaterOnStage.com publishes top-ranked student reviews. At the end of each season, critics vote on nominees and awards in various categories.
This year’s Cappies Gala will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 12 at the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. For more information visit https://www.southfloridacappies.com.
Four days later, the Arshties will hold its year-end showcase and awards ceremony at 7p.m. on May 16 at the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall. For tickets, visit arshtcenter.org.
ARSHTIES TIED TO NATIONAL LEVEL
Nakamura said in the future, she envisions the Arshties as a “cornerstone of arts education in our community, expanding access, deepening training opportunities, and serving as a pathway to national recognition.”
Miami-Dade County schools producing musicals during the academic year can register to participate in the Arshties. From there, students and educators engage in workshops and master classes with industry professionals and receive feedback on their productions.
The program culminates with the Arshties Showcase at the Arsht, which recognizes students and select performers take the stage. Two students are then nominated to represent Miami-Dade County at the Jimmy Awards in New York, which will take place June 22 at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. The ceremony celebrates high school musical theater talent nationally, featuring 116 nominees from more than 50 regional programs.
“It’s so exciting to have Miami represented on a national level for the first time,” Nakamura said. She added that what makes the Arshties unique is that it is not just about the final night. “It’s about the training, mentorship, and growth that happens along the way,” she said.
Throughout this academic year, Avila and other students have worked with Broadway professionals in class.
“Where else in South Florida can students receive that kind of training from working artists?” said Avila, who attends Miami Arts Studio 6-12 at Zelda Glazer. “For years, all I’ve wanted was the chance to learn from passionate professionals actively working in the industry, and the Arshties has immediately created that connection between young performers and the broader theater community. I’m so excited to finally receive professional-level training, and the Arshties is giving me an incredible artistic outlet to grow and learn. Having the Arshties in Miami-Dade is a dream come true and an opportunity for students across the county to showcase their talent and be recognized for years of passion and hard work. It’s exactly what the high school theater community needed at this moment.”
Avila is part of the “final twelve” who could represent Miami-Dade County at the Jimmy Awards in June.
“To now be a finalist is unbelievable,” Avila said. “Being part of the final twelve is a real pinch-me moment.”
Avila said he was “shocked” to learn about the Arshties.
“I never believed that an awards show of this magnitude would become a reality in Miami,” he said. “Every now and then, you would hear about someone at a theater trying to get something like this started, but to actually have it happen at the Arsht Center meant so much to me.”
The Arsht Center was also the first place Avila saw a professional theater production, an experience he said inspired him “to aspire to that level of performance.”
TAKEN SERIOUSLY
Valentina Davila, a student at Miami Coral Park Senior High School, is also excited to participate in the Arshties. Having such a program in Miami-Dade County “means everything because it gives students like me a real chance to be seen and taken seriously in the performing arts,” Davila said. “It shows that theater isn’t just a school activity, but something students value and take seriously. I think programs like this can truly change students’ lives because they give us the confidence to believe in ourselves and our abilities.”
When she first heard about the Arshties, Davila said she was “really excited but also a little nervous.”
“I knew it was such a big opportunity and would push me out of my comfort zone,” she said. “It motivated me to work harder and take what I do more seriously.”
As a student choreographer, she said the program has also strengthened her trust in her own creativity.
“Opportunities like this don’t come around very often,” she said.
Davila said involvement in musical theater has shaped her daily life in multiple ways.
“It’s taught me time management skills, leadership skills, and how to stay committed even when things get overwhelming, especially balancing rehearsals with school and everything else,” she said. “But most importantly, it has taught me confidence.”
She added that choreography has helped her learn communication, patience, and collaboration—skills she said extend beyond theater into any professional environment.
Davila said she is most excited about learning from experienced professionals through the Arshties.
“As someone who loves performing, dancing, and choreographing, I can’t wait for the workshops and to see all the different perspectives from people already working in the industry,” she said. “It’s so inspiring to be surrounded by talent and be in that kind of environment because it allows you to grow and learn something new each time.”
She added that performing at the Arsht feels like stepping into a professional world and encourages students to continue pursuing theater “whether they choose to go professionally or simply as something they will always love.”
Davila also emphasized that the program highlights opportunities beyond performance.
“It shows that there are real opportunities in the arts here in Miami, for not only kids that want to perform on stage, but those who want to do technical theater as well,” she said. “Technical theater is often overlooked, so having a program that focuses on that gives everyone an equal chance to succeed.”
She described theater as more than an activity.
“For many of us, it’s a second home,” she said. “It’s a safe space where we feel accepted and confident to be our true selves.”
Davila and Avila both plan to pursue theater in college and beyond.
“The Arshties experience has only reinforced my passion and desire to work and perform in the industry,” Avila said.
CAPPIES POST MORE THAN TWO DECADES
Over the past 24 years in South Florida, Cappies has strengthened camaraderie among our schools, increased attendance at school productions, and elevated the visibility of the importance of theater education,” Sessions said. She added that structured review writing and mentorship have also supported student literacy.
Sessions said the program has helped raise the overall quality of theater in South Florida schools by exposing students to a wide range of productions.
“It is genuinely exciting for students to know that 50 of their peers are watching and engaging with their work on the same night,” she said. “Many students cite Cappies as their favorite high school theater experience because of the camaraderie it fosters and the sense of belonging it provides.”
Tyler Johnson Grimes, a member of the organization’s steering committee, participated in the Cappies from 2006 to 2008.
“Before joining Cappies I had seen maybe two pieces of theater in my life,” he said. “Regularly seeing and discussing shows was vital to growing my theatrical knowledge and my ability to critically analyze various works of art. I consider my Cappies experience essential to why I still make theater today.”
He added that the program offers students the chance to be evaluated and celebrated by peers.
“There is nothing quite like being critiqued by audiences who are also theater-makers,” he said.
Grimes said the program also encourages discussion about art beyond the stage, helping students develop a deeper appreciation for theatrical work and storytelling.
