Gabrielle McCarren – Award for Excellence in Theater Arts

Gabrielle McCarren is a senior at Glen Ridge High School where she has a penchant for English, receiving creative writing awards and achieving a finalist position in the 2018 ESU Monmouth County Shakespeare Competition. Recent credits include Carrie in Carrie the Musical with Vanguard Theater Company and Jo March in Little Women with Glen Ridge High School.  Additional roles include Chrystal in Little Shop of Horrors, Ursula in Sweet Charity, Hilton Barber in Dead Man Walking and Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet. In the past year, Gabrielle participated in Vanguard’s Broadway Buddy Mentorship Program, duetting with Dear Evan Hansen’s Nicole Van Giesen, she was a soloist at Feinstein’s/54 Below and will soon perform at the Off-Broadway Triad Theater with A Work of Heart Productions. She studies at ATC Drama Studios and receives vocal training from Alison Bolshoi of the Bolshoi Music Studio. She participated in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s apprentice and advanced summer programs the past three years. She has been a member of several choirs and last year competed in the ACDA’s (American Choral Directors Association). Gabrielle would like  to thank Mr. Daryl Stewart for nominating her for this award. She is excited to be majoring in musical theater in college and hopes to pursue performing for the rest of her life.