The Ray of Light Awards
ABOUT THE RAY OF LIGHT AWARDS
The Ray of Light Awards for Excellence in High School Theatre is an annual program to develop and promote the efforts of area high school music theatre and drama programs. A year-long adjudication process culminates in a formal awards night honoring the best and brightest performers in high schools in the surrounding area of the Community Theatre League in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
RAY OF LIGHT GUIDELINES
A minimum of seven CTL judges will be attending the participating productions. All of the judges have received training and have a strong interest in students and theatre. None of the judges are involved in any of this year’s participating productions. Schools must allot up to 20 complimentary tickets per production for use by the judges.
SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY
- The Ray of Light Awards are open to schools within a 50-mile radius of Williamsport, PA.
- Productions must occur during the 2025-2026 school year, and all productions must be completed by the first Sunday in May.
- Each school may submit two productions, preferably one play and one musical. If a school does not submit one of each, two of the same type may be submitted.
- Schools are separated based on their geographical location. There are currently two regions: Northern and Central
To Register: Follow this link
Ray of Light Rehearsal Day and Nominee Concert: Friday, May 22
Ray of Light Ceremony Day: Saturday, May 23 at 2:00pm
2025 PARTICIPATING SCHOOL PLAYS AND DATES – (In Chronological Order)
- Central Mountain High School | The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe | November 14-16
- Danville Area High School | The Diary of Anne Frank | November, 13, 15, 16
- Hughesville High School | Tinker Bell | November 14-16
- Jersey Shore Area Senior High School | All Because of Agatha | November 19 and 20
- Loyalsock Township High School | Clue: On Stage | November 21-23
- Midd-West High School | The Beverly Hillbillies | November 21-23
- Milton Area High School | You Can’t Take It With You | November 21-23
- Warrior Run High School | Charlotte’s Web | November 20-22
- Shikellamy High School | Miracle on 34th Street | December 4-7
- Williamsport Area High School | To Be Announced
2026 PARTICIPATING SCHOOL MUSICALS AND DATES -(In Chronological Order)
- Danville Area High School | The SpongeBob Musical | February 26-28
- Bloomsburg High School | Les Misérables: School Edition | March 5-7
- Hughesville High School | Disney’s Descendants: The Musical | March 13-15
- Jersey Shore Area Senior High School | Pirates of Penzance | March 20-22
- Loyalsock Township High School | Mamma Mia! | March 19-22
- Montoursville Area High School | The Addams Family: School Edition | March 20-22
- Benton Area High School | The Lightning Thief | March 27-29
- Milton Area High School | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | March 27-29
- Southern Columbia Area High School | Sister Act | March 26-28
- Central Mountain | Hadestown: Teen Edition | April 9-12
- Midd-West High School | The Sound of Music | April 17-19
- Meadowbrook Christian School | The Little Mermaid | April 23-25
- Shikellamy High School | Oliver! | April 16-19
ELIGIBILITY FOR PLAYS
- Plays should be a minimum of 75 minutes in length. Multi-act plays may be presented without intermission. The time requirement should be met by the playwright’s work and not reached by adding superfluous music or activities to take up time.
- Productions should substantially recreate productions in the spirit of the original productions or subsequent revivals. Significant deviations from the original production design are eligible only upon approval of a comprehensive production description*, detailing the scope of the deviations and interpretation.
- The following genres are not eligible:
- Reader’s theatre
- Dinner theatre in which the show is specifically designed around a meal. Productions performed in a dinner setting, where food or refreshments are served during an intermission are permitted.
- Performances of multiple scenes/cuttings or shorts
- Plays developed and published specifically to be performed by middle or elementary students.
- Performances of improvisation
ELIGIBILITY FOR MUSICALS
- Musicals must be full-length with at least 2 acts, unless the original Broadway production was intended to be presented without intermission.
- Selected musicals must be published and licensed through a reputable publishing company (i.e. Music Theatre International, Concord Theatricals, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, etc.).
- Productions should substantially recreate productions in the spirit of the original production or subsequent revivals. CTL does not wish to stifle creativity. Significant deviations from the original production design are eligible only upon approval of a comprehensive production description*, detailing the scope of the deviations and director’s interpretation.
The following genres are not eligible:
- Revues, whether assembled by the director or officially sanctioned by a reputable publishing house
- Versions of classic musicals modified for presentation by younger groups; this would include MTI Broadway Junior, Kids, or TYA titles; Rodgers and Hammerstein G2K versions; and similar types of productions.
- Concert versions of classically staged works, whether sung while stationary or partially staged.
- Musicals developed and published specifically to be performed by middle or elementary students.
Lycoming College's Ray of Light Theatre Scholarships
Ray of Light Theatre Scholarship amount: $5,000 each
Up to FIVE Ray of Light Scholarships will be awarded to rising high school seniors. Recipients must declare a major in Theatre during the first semester of enrollment at Lycoming College and meet specific requirements set forth by the Theatre Department. Award is contingent upon acceptance to Lycoming College.
Audition/Interview Day: APRIL 25TH (Saturday) starting at 10:00am.
Lycoming College: Mary L. Welch Theatre, 606 Mulberry St. Williamsport, PA 17701
Scholarship Audition Registration Here: https://gowarriors.lycoming.edu/register/rayoflight
Auditions/Interviews start at 10am. We will contact you two days before the auditions to assign and confirm your 15min. long audition slot.
Note: You will be automatically considered for other Theatre Department scholarships as well
What to Prepare?
Acting – Perform two contrasting monologues (60-90sec. each); bring a resume or a list of production experiences and come ready to discuss your interests and goals.
Musical Theatre – Perform a monologue and 16 or 32 bars of a musical theatre repertoire (or two contrasting musical theatre selections instead of a monologue); bring a resume or a list of production experiences and come
ready to discuss your interests and goals.
Directing – Bring a resume or a list of production experiences, including production photos and programs, and come ready to discuss your interests and goals
Design/Technical Theatre – Bring a resume or a list of production experiences; include examples of creative
work, and come ready to discuss your interests and goals
Stage Management – Bring a resume or a list of production experiences and come ready to discuss your
interests and goals
Applicants interested in more than one area of specialization do not need to choose a concentration at this stage, but be prepared to share examples of their work and talk about all theatre interests.
Questions: email Dr. B, Chair of the Theatre Department at Lycoming College: stoytcheva@lycoming.edu
RAY OF LIGHT AWARDS ENTRY FORMS
To be submitted by October 3, 2025 for Fall 2025 productions or by December 1, 2025 for Spring 2026 productions.
Late Entry Forms will NOT be accepted.
The first 25 productions entered will be adjudicated. If submitting two productions please fill out a separate form for each submission.
CEREMONY DATE IS MAY 23rd, 2026 with a rehearsal day on MAY 22nd, 2026
Fee: $250 Fee per entered production (MUST be paid by time of production)
Make check payable to: The Community Theatre League
Mailed to: 100 West Third Street, Williamsport, PA 17701
To be submitted no less than 10 days before the production involving student design (can be in any production area: sets, costumes, choreography, lighting, program, etc.)
Late Entry Forms will NOT be accepted.
CTL’s Ray of Light Awards are proudly Sponsored by:
Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Staiman Recycling Corporation and the Savoy Family
Our Programs
In addition to putting on performances for the public throughout the year, the Community Theatre League hosts a variety of programs to promote and encourage local youth to get involved in musical theatre and drama. From our annual summer camps to our high school workshops and Oscar-like awards show, we strive to share our talent and passion for the performing arts with the community.