Blau, Roth of McLean and O’Neill of Stuart Win Awards

Local students Gen Blau and Malka Roth of McLean High School and Caitlin O’Neill of J.E.B. Stuart High School each took home Cappie awards at the Kennedy Center awards ceremony last week.

The Cappie awards honor the best performances and critiques of area high school plays of the last year, and are presented in a ceremony that mirrors the Academy Awards or Tony Awards ceremonies.

Blau won the Comic Actress in a Play award for her portrayal of Bunny Flingus in “The House of Blue Leaves.” She described her character as a “loud, really obnoxious woman.” She also said that her character possessed a very good understanding of how to get people to do what she wants. Blau, who is a brunette, said that one of her favorite parts of playing Flingus was getting to dress up as the blonde, brash New Yorker.

“Once I got into costume and make-up, I couldn’t not talk in a New York accent,” Blau said.

Blau recalled her reaction upon being announced the winner.

“I was shaking like I was in an earthquake,” Blau said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my senior year.”

Roth also won for her role in “The House of Blue Leaves,” as she was awarded the Featured Actress in a Play award for her portrayal of Bananas Shaunessy.

“It was an honor to be able to portray someone with as many dimensions as she has,” Roth said of playing her character. She added that she and the other students pushed hard to be able to put on the play because of the depth of its characters.

Roth, who said she has acted in about 15-16 shows at McLean, said that winning her award was “a really incredible honor.” She also mentioned that she remembers sitting in the Kennedy Center when she was in her early high school days, looking up with admiration at the Cappie award winners. She said she is now honored to be setting the example for this year’s freshmen.

“It’s really sort of surreal,” Roth said.

Both Blau and Roth plan to continue acting in the future.

O’Neill took home the Comic Actress in a Musical Cappie for her role in “South Pacific.”