The excitement was at a fever pitch last Sunday night at the 2010 Elly Awards. It was a full house heavily made up of young people.  A performance by the cast of Runaway Stage Productions’ “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” from the show of the same name got the night rolling. First up were awards for education plays and musicals, recognizing high school theater and young peoples’ plays and musicals, and programing aimed at children.  Educational Theater Twenty awards were awarded for education plays and musicals. These categories are for high school theater. St Francis High School of Sacramento and St. Mary’s High School of Stockton, both private Catholic high schools, tie

Sunday evening’s show was nearly sold out at the new Arden Playhouse, a wonderful 150-seat venue that opened in March. All ages were represented in the audience. Were they waiting for the curtain opening on the latest play?   No – the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA) was announcing the 2010 Elly nominees. The Elly Awards are named for the late Eleanor McClatchy, a devoted patron of the arts and former publisher of The Sacramento Bee. The Elly Awards celebrate excellence and the outstanding achievements of community theaters and artists in the greater Sacramento area. Elly Award nominations included Lead and Supporting Actor and Actress, Director, Costume Design, Lightin

The all-girl robotics team of St. Francis High School, the Fembots, competed at the high school level in a robotics international championship April 15-17. It was the only team from Sacramento in the competition this year. The championship was held in Atlanta, Ga., by the organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST). The Fembots received the Engineering Inspiration Award at the Sacramento regional competition held at University of California, Davis, March 31-April 1. The award qualified them to compete at the championship where they placed 71st in their division. "It's a lot of hard work and takes a lot of time," freshman Lana Myerson said. "But it reall

These are the best high school basketball teams, girls and boys, the area has to offer. It's the Sac-Joaquin Section 2010 championships. As I sit and watch and more importantly listen to the comments and reactions of teams' supporters, one question comes to mind. Can each team in every game be getting cheated? The obvious answer is "Of course not." Granted, the obvious biases belong to the parents, friends and relatives of the participants. Generally, officials could care less which teams win or lose. Officials are likely to have a slant toward a playing style more so than a team. Indeed, because humans are involved, should officials run into a team with consistency, there is the p

Based on last night's rehearsal, tonight's Tribute to Freedom concert will transport listeners back to a time when Eastern Europe first tasted freedom from the oppression of the Berlin Wall. Tickets ranging from $15 and up are still available on ticketweb.com. Conductor Pete Nowlen and Choir Master Ryan Murray have been rehearsing for several weeks with the orchestra, chorus and solists of the Academy at All Hallows in combination with the Chamber Choir of Jesuit High School and the choruses of St. Francis, John Paul II and Adventist Academy. For more details, see the program posted on the Cathedral's website, www.cathedralsacramento.org. Photos feature members of the brass section of the