Nominees for Prime Stage Theatre’s fourth annual High School Drama Awards include students in Hampton’s fall production of “Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.”

The awards event is scheduled for Jan. 29 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. During the evening, students will have the option to present a short scene from their nominated production.

Hampton High School students receiving nominations for their roles with “Puffs” are:

• Best Actor — Nathan Connelly as Wayne Hopkins

• Best Actress — Echo Shomaeker as Megan Jones

• Best Supporting Actress — Ashley Kimmell as Leanne, Helga and Frenchy

• Best Student Director — Kiley Vande Geest and Andrew Kaehly

• Best Student Stage Manager — Margaret Sager

• Best Student Scenic Design and/or Fabrication — Jacob Baker, Margaret Sager and Lily Stalewski

• Best Student Lighting Design and/or Operation — Jacob Baker, Michael Petrucci and Garret Vasil

• Best Student Prop Design and/or Fabrication — Samantha Nicely

• Best Student Costume Design and/or Fabrication — Team

• Best Student Makeup Design and/or Application — Shane Noone

• Best Student Use of Creative Special Effects — Jacob Baker

• Best Student Sound Design and/or Operation — Melanie Roth and Claire Topper

• Best Student Backstage-Run Crew — Team of A. Wallace & Alice Anderson

“Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic” is a 2015 original play by New York-based playwright Matt Cox, staged by Hampton students Nov. 9-11. The play is a parody of the Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling, but from the perspective of the Puffs, who were inspired by the Hogwarts house, Hufflepuff.

The Drama Awards honor excellence in nonmusical plays by student actors, directors and production crew members. Students from 12 area high schools were nominated in 16 categories. The complete list is at tinyurl.com/2dcr49v7.

“What makes these awards unique is that to be eligible, the students must be in a backstage leadership role or an onstage performance role,” awards coordinator John Dolphin said. “We encourage adult mentorship and assistance, but in the end, these productions are student-run.”

Since its founding in 1996, Prime Stage Theatre has presented more than 100 plays that introduce student and family audiences to classic and contemporary works of world literature.

“The High School Drama Awards is our way of looking to the future,” Wayne Brinda, Prime Stage producing artistic director, said. “By encouraging these young actors and production specialists in their early efforts, we’re building a strong foundation for Pittsburgh theater in years to come.”

For more information, visit primestage.com/events/drama-awards.

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