Drama club celebrates Isaac Awards success

Adrielle McNeal, Andie Kephart, and Isabella Benjamin • June 3, 2026 • 37 Views

Attisen Batten speaks on behalf of the crew members who won Best Stage Crew.

On May 23, the ACT (Altoona Community Theatre) presented the school’s drama club with 14 Isaac awards. This marks history for the school, as this is the most awards won from a singular production.

“I thought it was crazy,” senior Gabrielle Beldin said. “I thought ‘42nd Street’ was top of the ball since we were tapping and got so many nominations for that. So to get 13 nominations and having multiple categories where there were two of us nominated. I felt honored knowing we were doing that well because I thought the show was good and it was nice to know that other people also thought that the show deserved praise.”

The drama club starts working on their shows in September. Rehearsing for the show is a process that each crew member goes through to make sure the show is ready on time.

Each set crew has a head adviser. Karen Hamel is in charge of costumes, props are by Lucy Craig and set construction by David Borst.

For director Ben Cossitor, winning 14 awards came down to the cast and crew.

“It was the perfect cast and crew,” Cossitor said. “They all came together and did their jobs. They were perfect this year.”

The Isaac awards started in 2006 with only 10 schools. Throughout the years they have given out more than half a million dollars in college scholarships.

The Isaac awards are given by ACT to 18 participating high schools throughout Pennsylvania.

The school was nominated for 13 Issac awards. Out of these 13 nominations, the school was awarded 14 Isaac awards.

With these awards, three scholarships were presented to six drama club students covering $11,500.

These awards include:

MVP Award- Attison Batten
$500 Zack Hinish Foundation Scholarship- Gabrielle Beldin, Camille Krug
$1000 Steven C. Helsel Legacy Scholarship- Owen Carmel
$2500 PSU Altoona Scholarship- Elijah Lucio, Natalie Etters, Rowan McCusker
Best Supporting Actor in a Female Role- Gabrielle Beldin as Lily
Runner Up Best Supporting Actor in a Male Role- Greg Wenzel as Dickon
Best Stage Crew
Runner Up Best Ensemble
Runner Up Achievement in Choreography- Lillian Goodman, Aubrey Huber, Emma Lang
Runner Up Achievement in Design- Owen Carmel for Costume Design
Best Lead Actor in a Male Role- Owen Carmel as Archibald
Runner Up Featured Dance or Dancer- Prologue
Best Musical Number- How Could I Ever Know
Best Production

In comparison to “The Secret Garden,” next year’s show will be a comedic one.

“It is going to be a different kind of entertainment,” Cossitor said. “You’ll come to it and you’re going to enjoy all of the references and jokes they make, almost at musical theaters’ expense.”

Next year, the fall play will be “Shakespeare in Love” and the musical will be “The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes.”

The cast of “The Secret Garden” took the stage once more as they performed the night of the awards ceremony. (Ben Cossiter)

About the Contributors

Adrielle McNeal, Reporter

My name is Adrielle McNeal, and this is my second year as a Mountain Echo staff member. I took Intro to Pub my freshman year, and fell in love with the class. Along with Mountain Echo, I am an editor for the Horseshoe yearbook. Balancing both classes can be a lot, but it’s worth it. I also participate in the drama club and Black Student Union.

Andie Kephart, Reporter

My name is Andie Kephart, and this is my second year on the Mountain Echo staff. In addition to writing for the Mountain Echo, I am on the swim team and involved in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). Outside of school, I am a part of a weightlifting team, and have traveled all over the U.S to compete in different competitions. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and listening to music, especially the Jonas Brothers. After high school, I plan to major in exercise science.

Isabella Benjamin, Reporter

My name is Isabella Benjamin, but everyone calls me Izzie, and this is my first year on staff. I have loved taking photos since I was little and it was when I watched Gilmore Girls that I realized I could write and take photos in school. Aside from Mountain Echo I am involved in student council, Girls’ League, S.A.D.D. ( Students Against Destructive Decisions) and more. Outside of school, you can find me skiing, hanging out with my friends and family or always shopping. A fun fact about me is that I am an alpine ski racer. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of 2025-26 Mountain Echo staff, and hope to have a great year.