It was a magical moment in the hallways of Salisbury High School as the school hallways erupted with cries of joy May 9.

For the first time ever, SHS received a nomination for Outstanding Overall Production by a Smaller School for “The Spitfire Grill.”

“Some of our students were watching the Freddy nominations live with Mrs. Reinecke, and I happened to be visiting the classroom at the time. Our students erupted with sheer joy and enthusiasm when they heard Salisbury received a nomination,” District Superintendent Lynn Fuini-Hetten said.

“It was wonderful to experience this once in a lifetime moment with our students. They worked diligently to produce a high-quality production of Spitfire to earn these nominations and I am extremely proud of them,” Fuini-Hetten said.

Moments after the Freddy Award nominations were announced, The Press met with a few of the theater students and their theater director Shannon O’Grady.

“They are so happy. They are crying tears of joy, screaming and hugging each other. It’s been amazing,” O’Grady said as she described the scene which unfolded in her classroom and hallways of SHS.

Jonah Bittner, Anthony Jarjous, Chloe Jarjous, Faith Spellacy, Hope Spellacy, Johnny Tran and Madlyn Williams ran down the hallway toward O’Grady filled with happiness and excitement.

“This is so exciting. I can’t stop crying, in a good way ... in a good way,” Chloe Jarjous said.

Chloe Jarjous and Spellacy were nominated for Outstanding Small Ensemble Performance, the second Freddy Awards nomination for this production.

“Chloe and Faith have been in theater, Faith since her freshman year and Chloe since her sophomore year. And we, as a theater program, at Salisbury Theatre, we started out in the courtyard of our school because during 2020 when we won our first production, we weren’t allowed to be in then auditorium without masks,” Williams said, who credits her castmates for earning their dues “working from the ground up.”

O’Grady described “The Spitfire Grill” as “a small intimate story and it’s very emotionally complex and challenging.”

“Our first rehearsal is today,” Johnny Tran explained, who along with Chloe Jarjous, Williams and Jonah Bittner, will perform at the Freddy Awards.

For these theater students, the smiles on their faces say it all.

“I just couldn’t be prouder of them,” O’Grady said.

The Freddy Awards take place May 23.