Greater Latrobe's virtual pandemic-themed play honored with a Telly Award

Greater Latrobe Drama Club’s innovative approach that allowed the show to go on for last fall’s high school play was recognized with a Telly Award.

The club and Headspace Media, the Latrobe firm that filmed the play “”Love… No Barriers” for an online presentation during the covid-19 pandemic, received a 2021 Silver Telly Award for Social Impact in the Non-Broadcast category.

Established in 1979, the Telly Awards honor video and television work across all screens, from all 50 states and five continents. Entries are judged by industry leaders from video platforms, television, streaming networks and production companies including Netflix, Dow Jones, A&E Networks, Nickelodeon and Vimeo.

Addressing the pandemic, the play was written by Allison Duda, who has directed multiple Greater Latrobe student productions, in collaboration with her husband, Jeffrey, local filmmaker and Headspace Media owner Matthew Fridg and Fridg’s wife, Jennifer.

The play deals with the feelings of loss and isolation caused by barriers created by the pandemic, all while exploring a range of emotions including grief, love and hope. The show’s sets allowed student actors to remain socially distanced while underlining the play’s theme, and the virtual presentation permitted audiences to view it without concern about attendance limitations at the school auditorium.

The Telly Award will make a distinctive addition to the school’s trophy showcase, Duda said.

“We are very excited because this was such a labor of love and such a collaborative project,” she said. “For the students to have this kind of experience in a year like no other, they’re never going to forget it.”

Visit lovenobarriers.com to watch the play.

Matthew Fridg submitted the entry for Telly consideration. He sees the win as a validation of the efforts of all those involved with the play and of his start-up company.

“We wanted to film the play in a way that was more cinematic since we knew we weren’t going to have a live audience,” he said. “You get to be onstage and see the kids’ faces.

“For me, starting a media company in a pandemic, I felt validated to not only bring this about for the school but also to have our work as a company be rewarded.”

Fridg received two previous Telly awards — for a 2003 dramatic film “Emergence,” which he co-directed while a student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and for a commercial he created to promote a nonprofit’s campaign to raise funds for a food distribution.