Maya Ison and Sterling Jones were named Best Actress and Best Actor as the 8th Annual Triangle Rising Stars show at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Tuesday night.
Ison and Jones will represent the Triangle as they travel to New York City to take part in nine days of workshops and coaching at part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards. The trip will culminate with the Jimmy Awards show at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre on June 25.
Ison played the role of Sarah in Enloe High School's production of Ragtime. She is a senior, and next year she will attend Boston University where she will pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Jones is a rising senior at Broughton High School, and played the role of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast.
This year more than 150 students at 39 area high schools took part in the Triangle Rising Stars selection process. Ten actors and ten actresses made the finals and took part in four days of workshops, auditions and rehearsals before performing on the DPAC stage.
Best Actress Finalists
Allie Jessee - Cary High School
Anna Vtipil - Athens Drive High School
Averi Zimmermann - Athens Drive High School
Delia Vaisey - Chapel Hill High School
Elena Holder - Durham School of the Arts
Lexi Yauch - Clayton High School
Mya Ison - Enloe High School
Samantha Zarate - Jordan Matthews High School
Tara Clinkscales - Cary High School
Caroline Segars - Eastern Alamance High School
Best Actor Finalists
Aidan O'Connell - CE Jordan High School
Dylan Gibson - Durham School of the Arts
Evan Martschenko - Cary High School
Garrett Noga - Leesville Road High School
Kenneth Andrews - Graham High School
Adam Greene - Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School
Benjamin Richardson-Piche - CE Jordan High School
Sterling Jones - Broughton High School
Tyler Ellis - Clayton High School
Vishal Kasula - Athens Drive High School
Triangle Rising Stars also presented the Best Ensemble Award to Cary High School's The Secret Garden. The Best Musical Award went to Enloe High School's production of Ragtime.
Triangle Rising Stars