Hoboken Public School District at STANJ 2025

Hoboken Public School District Competes at the Speech & Theatre Association of New Jersey’s Governor’s Awards in Arts Education Theatre Competition at MSU
Posted on 01/17/2025

Hoboken Public School District Competes at the Speech & Theatre Association of New Jersey’s Governor’s Awards in Arts Education Theatre Competition at MSU


Hoboken, NJ, - Saturday, January 11th, the Hoboken High School Thespian Competition Team and the Hoboken Middle School Junior Thespians participated in The Speech & Theatre Association of New Jersey's Governor's Awards in Arts Education Theatre Competition at Montclair State University. This prestigious event saw participation from 42 schools and over 1,000 talented students from across the state.


Hoboken Middle School’s Junior Thespians demonstrated remarkable talent. For many, it was their first theatre competition in an extremely challenging environment. But, Hoboken Middle School rose up and won a total of three awards—a new school record.  


The rigorous competition commenced at 8 a.m. and concluded at 5 p.m., with all 1,000 middle and high school students showcasing their skills through timed performance pieces. Each performance was evaluated by highly qualified professional theatre educators using a blind judging process to eliminate any favoritism, ensuring that scoring was based solely on talent, preparedness, and professionalism.


In the morning session, top performers were selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to perform again in front of different adjudicators in the afternoon. This unique structure emphasizes the competitive nature of the event, with students not only assessed against a performance rubric but also against one another. 


Additionally, students participated in workshops during the afternoon, including Stage Combat, Intro to Dance, College BFA Program Acting Auditions, and Improvisation. These sessions were led by esteemed college professors from Montclair State University’s faculty and professional actors, providing valuable educational opportunities.


The Hoboken High School Theatre Department proudly acknowledges the hard work and dedication exhibited by the 39 students who attended the competition. Their performances ranged from comedic and dramatic monologues to scenes, improvisations, solo and duet musical theatre, and pantomime. Among 200 entries in various categories, earning a spot in the top ten is a significant achievement, with 7th-10th place winners recognized as Finalists.


Supervisor of Fine & Performing Arts, Danielle Miller said, “I would like to thank the entire Theatre Department for their time and dedication to our students. Mr. Derek Kinnear (High School Theatre Director), Mr. Patrick Benson (Middle School Theatre Director),  Ms. Gina Rotondi (Elementary School Theatre Director) and Ms. Aishah Tapia (Assistant Director, Dance Captain, and Production Assistant) inspire our students to express themselves in the most creative ways. Theatre is part of our core curricula in the Hoboken Public School District and it shows in the performances of our students.”


The following awards were won by Hoboken High School students:

3rd Place Dramatic Pairs - Madison McKeown and Molly Lamb

4th Place Musical Theatre Solo - Shai Warshawsky 

4th Place Contrasting Monologue - Shai Warshawsky

6th Place Contrasting Monologue - Lucas Daly

6th Place Comedic Monologue - Kevin Melendez

Finalist Musical Theatre Pairs - Michelle Puharre and Fern Rosario

Finalist Comedic Monologue - Magnus Peterka

Finalist Dramatic Monologue - Samuel Leong


Congratulations to the following students for their participation in the Speech & Theatre Association of New Jersey's Governor's Awards in Arts Education Theatre Competition held at Montclair State University:


Hoboken High School Thespians

Shai Warshawsky

Gabriel Colon

Rye Critelli

Fern Rosario

Jayden Rosser

Lucas Daly

Athena Elshafey

Gabriel Rivas

Tyler Mara

Sihana Alaj

Sihanna Garcia

Julieta Guzman-Espinosa

Michelle Puharre

Crisshayla Rivera

Rebecca Wu

Hannah Morley

Kevin Melendez

Arcadio Torres 

Charlotte Dobson

Dyana Martinez

Vivian Allen

Harper Clark


Hoboken Middle School Junior Thespians

Molly Lamb

Seneca Perry

Bria Wong

Eliot Cazaledez

Aleksander Fennel

Magnus Peterka

Stefan Jovanovski

Madison McKeown

Sam Leong

Phillip Lazorchick

Logan Morrissey

Mayla Gregory

Channing Chung

Christopher Melli

Jackson Kirsch

Alexandra Poucki

Krishay Chugh


Background: 


About The Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey (STANJ):  The Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey (STANJ) has been the voice of advocacy for the inclusion of speech and theatre arts in educational curricula since 1960. STANJ has implemented state and national advocacy strategies and helped to recognize, develop, and promote the importance of teacher certification in speech and theatre. The purpose of STANJ is to promote excellence in the study and teaching of communication and theatre arts, encouraging innovative methods of teaching speech and theatre.  As an NJEA affiliate, the association includes volunteer members from K-12, college, and professional theatre who are passionate about theatre education. STANJ welcomes input from members to help foster growth and change. Professional members attend monthly PD workshops and presentations at the NJEA Convention. Student members may participate in the Governor’s Awards Theatre competition in the areas of Monologues(*), Scenes(*), Improvisation(*), Musical Theatre, Stage Management, VPA(*), Character Analysis, Pantomime, Shakespeare, Communication Media Arts, Best Play & Musical. First-place winners in (*) categories are honored with a Governor’s award at a ceremony held in Trenton. Two college theater scholarships are also offered.