• Welcome to our new website!
The Independence Awards program has been such a valuable asset to the Greater Philadelphia Region! My students get so excited when they know an adjudicator is in the audience. Our student actors and designers value the feedback and strive to use it to make our program better and soar to great heights!

Brian Walsh

Director, Marple Newtown High School

Enrollment

Enrollment is open to any public, private, charter, or parochial Pennsylvania high school (grades 9-12 participants only) within a 20 mile radius of City Hall, Philadelphia. Pennsylvania schools on the immediate border of the radius may apply for an exemption for this rule.

The registration cost is $275. Dues will cover the cost of the end-of-the-year awards ceremony, administrative costs for the organization, and trophy costs. Scholarships may be available for schools with severely limited budgets by request from the Director.

Having trouble, contact our webmaster for assistance.

Director's Responsibilities

Once registered, you'll provide us with details about your production, specifically dates of all performances and contact information for our adjudicators to reach out for tickets (along with whether they can bring a guest, which is optional). There is no formal training Directors are required to attend; however, they may choose to attend the Adjudicators training meeting. In the meantime, we will send you our rulebook! You should read the document to understand how the program works.

A week prior to your production, you will complete a "Considerations" form on our website. Once completed, we will distribute them to the adjudicators so they know exactly what they're evaluating in your production. Shortly after your production, you will receive data and feedback from the adjudicators, which you may choose to share (or not to share) with your students.

At the end of the year, Adjudicators will vote and produce a list of nominees from the season. If your production is nominated for Best Musical or Best Song, your cast will have the opportunity to perform at our awards ceremony at Temple University


Student Involvement

Student involvement can be as simple as participating in your school production. However, we also offer a variety of other ways for students to get involved in the program. They include...

  • Attend the annual Free Theater Workshop
  • Serve as an Awards Ambassador at the awards show
  • Work on the stage management team for the awards show
  • Perform in the opening number at the awards show (2 per school)

You Should Know

Any musical produced by a member school between the dates of November 1 and April 21 is eligible to be evaluated.

Each director is responsible for completing the Considerations form one week prior to their opening. On this form, directors determine who will be considered in each of the categories.

Local theater professionals, unaffiliated with any member school, first nominate and then vote for each of the 27 awards, including the Jimmy nominees. For more detailed information on the voting process, click here.
More Questions? Check out our FAQ!