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When the Cappies program came to Ottawa in 2005, few people in Canada had even heard of it.

It started modestly with 15 high schools in its first year and a year-end gala that filled nearly 900 seats in the National Arts Centre’s Theatre.

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Today the Cappies celebrates its first decade in the national capital region as one of the biggest programs in North America. It routinely sees the participation of 35 or more schools and has been the catalyst for chapters in Edmonton and the Niagara region. The Gala outgrew the NAC Theatre in its second year and now fills Southam Hall every year.

Cappies, which stands for Critic and Award Program, was the brainchild of William Strauss, an American historian, playwright, and founder of the Capitol Steps political comedy troupe.

Strauss teamed up with Judy Bowns, then a Washington D.C.-area theatre and dance resource teacher. Their collaboration began in the wake of the mass shooting at Columbine high school in Colorado. The goal was to highlight, in the pages of the Washington Post newspaper, the accomplishments of students interested in writing and drama rather than athletics. Chapters followed in other states, including Ohio, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas and Missouri.