Mirror photo by Gary M. Baranec / Hannah Nieman (left), Clara Galant and Michelle Cates, all students at Grier School, prepare for their performance from “Tuck Everlasting” on Saturday at the Mishler Theatre.

Hundreds of area high school drama students from 20 regional schools dressed up, applauded each other’s hard work — either on stage or behind the scenes — and received scholarship awards of more than $60,000 from theatrical arts benefactors during The Isaacs at the historic Mishler Theatre in Altoona on Saturday and Sunday.

In its 14th year, the Isaacs are orchestrated by the Altoona Community Theatre to celebrate excellence in high school musical theater.

For the third year, the program split the schools into a two-night, semi-formal event supported by Reliance Bank, Benzel’s, Altoona Blair County Development Corp., The EADS Group, Leonard S. Fiore, Dr. Michelle Barnes Optometry, Blair Companies and about 20 individuals.

For the first time ever, ACT presented the Steven C. Helsel Legacy Award to a student who participated in both her high school’s producton and assisted in any capacity with ACT. Natalie Rupp of Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School received the $1,000 award.

The award honors Helsel, who served as ACT’s executive director and operations manager until his death in November after a brief illness. Helsel served ACT for more than 30 years.

In accepting the $1,000 scholarship Saturday, Rupp credited Helsel with inspiring her, believing in her and showing her how to adapt to whatever happens — and “to not be a dinosaur” — a phrase often repeated by Helsel.

“(The award) is one way we are moving past our grief at losing Steve and adapting to life without Steve,” she said.

Since 2014, Ann and Bill Benzel have presented monetary awards to participating schools. This year, three schools — Johnstown Christian, Great Commission and Moshannon Valley received $1,000 each and the other 17 schools received $500 each to help offset production costs for next year.

Johnstown Christian and Great Commission were selected in a random drawing, but as the Benzels drew the Sunday night winner, they spontaneously upped their award to include Moshannon-Valley, according host Jonathan O’Harrow, to an even $12,000.

Additionally, Penn State Altoona, Mount Aloysius College and Saint Francis University presented individual awards to students who plan to attend their respective schools and continue in the theatrical arts.

“The Isaacs continue to grow and we want to keep supporting the schools,” Ann Benzel said before the awards show Sunday. “We know how much this means to the students because we often hear from them and they tell us so.”

New ACT executive director Cindy Stanbro was officially introduced to both audiences.

“I attended my first Isaacs last night,” she told the audience Sunday. “I am beyond thrilled to see what is taking place on stage and the outpouring of support from the community.”

Eric Wolf said the 20 participating schools represent six counties very well. Representatives from each school joined forces to present the opening number, selections from “A Chorus Line” — another tribute to Helsel who directed that show several years ago for ACT.

Penn State Altoona, State Francis University and Mount Aloysius College presented multiple scholarships each evening.

“The Isaacs are a combination of education and the arts so it’s a natural fit for us,” said Tim Kershner, director of Strategic Communications at Penn State Altoona. “We have our own exciting arts community on campus and are always seeking talented high school students to choose us to continue their education.”

Wolf, who serves as president of the ACT Board of Directors, said the trio determine their own amounts and selection criteria.

Nathan Magee, theater director at Mount Aloysius, said, “We started offering (scholarships) because I believe in the mission of The Isaacs and I wanted to be a part of that night every year. I served as a judge one year and I got to see firsthand just how meaningful The Issacs are to the participating high schools … it was an obvious choice for Mount Aloysius. High school theater should be celebrated.”

The Isaacs are a fluid offering with the ACT board adding categories as need, O’Harrow said. This year, the board awarded the Judges’ Discretionary Award for Achievement in Puppetry to Alivia Boyd as Ostrich in Great Commission’s “Peter Pan.”