We have a panel of at least five judges. All of the judges have significant theatrical experience both onstage and offstage. None of the judges are involved in any of this year’s participating productions. (While some of the Isaac Committee members are involved in high school musicals, they do not participate in the judging in any way.)

While it is impractical to expect each judge to attend every show, each judge must attend at least 75% of the participating musicals to have a vote. (For example, last year one of the judges looked at his schedule part way through the season and realized that he would not see enough of the musicals. He disqualified himself as a judge.) Obviously, if a judge is not able to see one of the musicals, they do not get to vote on that musical.

Judges often, but not always, attend different performances. So if a school has one of those bad-luck, disastrous performances, some of the judges have probably attended on other nights.

ACT asks schools to provide a complimentary ticket to each of our judges, however some judges prefer to attend anonymously or to support the production by purchasing their own tickets. So if your school only had reservations for two judges, it doesn’t mean that only two judges attended.

Of course, watching a musical is very subjective. Everyone has their own opinion on individual performances and on the overall production. Our judges reach a decision on nominations and awards by consensus. It is rarely unanimous.

At the conclusion of the high school musical season, the Isaacs judges meet to discuss nominations for awards. Depending on the number of schools participating, the judges decide how many nominees to include per category. All judges submit their lists of nominees for each category. Questions about nominee placement (“Is this character a leading or supporting role?”) are discussed and decided with a simple majority vote. The list of nominees is shortened and finalized by simple majority vote.

To determine the recipient and runner-up for each award, the judges are asked to submit and rank their top three choices for each category (rankings are 1, 2, and 3). Judges may only vote for nominees from shows they attended. The top three scores for each nominee are totaled. The nominee with the lowest score is the recipient and the nominee with the second lowest score is the runner up.

Example:
Nominee #1 – votes: 1,1,1 – total: 3 – recipient
Nominee #2 – votes: 1,2,1 – total: 4 – Runner-up
Nominee #3 – votes: 1,2,2 – total: 5 – 3rd rank, etc.

In the event of a tie, a second round of voting occurs. A majority vote determines the outcome.

Awards include Best Actor and Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, Best Musical Number, and Best Production. We added an Achievement in Design Award last year to recognize student designers, directors, choreographers, and technicians. There are also Runner-Up Awards in most categories. (Since the mission of the Isaacs is to recognize student achievement, there is no award for Best Director.)

The judges have the authority to add awards. In 2013, the judges created a new award category for student choreographers. In 2018, the judges created a new award category for student stage crews. Occasionally the judges will award Rising Stars to recognize very young students.

The Isaacs judges do not take production budgets into account. We collected that information in the first and second year. We found no significant difference in budgets and found no connection between budget size and awards.

We are proud to report that at our last in-person Isaacs, local high school students received more than $50,000 in college scholarships through the Isaac Awards.

First were twelve $1,000 scholarships for the six individual award winners over two nights – Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Featured Role, and Achievement in Design. (These Isaac scholarships from ACT are for any field of study at any accredited institution and are administered by the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation.)

In addition to scholarships for the individual Isaac winners, Penn State Altoona has awarded $2,500 scholarships to pursue any course of study at the College.

Mount Aloysius College has awarded $4,000 scholarships ($1,000/year for four years) to MAC for any course of study.

Saint Francis University has awarded $4,000 scholarships ($1,000 per year/four years) to selected students.

Some of the Teacher/Directors have expressed concern over the competitive aspect of the Isaac Awards.

There are few endeavors as fraught with competition and rejection as theatre. At any given time, more than 90% of Actors’ Equity (the actors’ union) are not employed in theatre. That’s a lot of competition and rejection.

Auditions in high schools, colleges, community theatres, and professional theatres are competitive by their very nature. Just as the director’s job is a subjective one, so are the Isaacs judges’. Directors make judgments according to their own personal criteria as to who is better suited to a role, and as a result, some students are inevitably disappointed. Even at high schools where everyone who shows up to audition is cast in the show, not everybody gets to play a lead or even have a speaking role.

One Teacher/Director commented, “We are not serving our students’ educational process if we do not acknowledge this fact at the outset. It is our obligation as the teacher to proactively create the framework to help them deal with these inevitable disappointments in life in a positive manner, whether it is not being cast in a role or not being selected for an award.”

Some of our Teacher/Directors who have been involved with the Pennsylvania Music Education Association (PMEA) acknowledge that marching band competition in our region was seriously damaged by band directors who did not handle this issue well for their students or for themselves.

One judge was confronted by a band director and asked, “We got a 15 in this category. What do I need to do to get a 20?” There were band directors “teaching to the test,” something most educators want to avoid.

This is one of the reasons that ACT does not release the judges’ scoring and deliberations. It was agreed that this would increase the negative aspects of competition. Our mission is to recognize student achievement, not to undermine it.

We hope that these insights will give you a better understanding of how ACT pursues its mission for the Isaac Awards to encourage and support excellence in high school musical theatre in our region through an annual awards event that recognizes student achievement.

If you have other questions, please contact ACT, 814-943-4357.

School superintendent – “I had the pleasure of attending the Isaacs and was overwhelmed by the experience. I have so enjoyed watching our theatre program blossom, and I appreciate ACT’s role in supporting and nurturing it.”

Student – “This was so much better than I ever expected! It was awesome to be on the Mishler stage and also to see what all the other schools were doing.”

Teacher/Director – “In the 30 year history of our school’s musical theatre program, this is the first time we’ve ever received this kind of recognition.”

Teacher/Director – “ First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and ACT for all that you have done with the Isaac Awards. My students are still talking about last weekend. It was our first Isaac experience since I took over the program, and it truly exceeded my expectations. We had three school board members in attendance. They were more than impressed with the experience. They even met with the superintendent and business manager to share their thoughts. Participating in your wonderful event has inspired them to assist us with finding more funding, and I’m so excited to see the impact it will have on our program’s future. We hope to make our participation an annual event. Thank you a million times over!”

Teacher/Director – “I just watched the premiere of the 2021 Isaac Awards, and I want to thank you all personally for supporting our programs and keeping the tradition of the Isaac Awards alive with the virtual presentation!!! It was great to see a little bit of how all of the other schools adapted to the COVID restrictions this year and how everyone found a way to make theatre a success!! Thank you also for connecting our students to the scholarship opportunities from the local colleges and universities!!”