Along with the 13 awards presented for excellence in musical theatre, the Betty Buckley Awards will now honor excellence in full-length plays with the Best Play, Best Male Actor in a Play and Best Female Actor in a Play awards. 

"To continue and expand on our mission to nurture live theatre in Tarrant and surrounding counties, we felt it was important to include and celebrate the theatrical accomplishments of our local schools, whether it is a musical or a full-length play," Wally Jones, executive producer and president of Casa Mañana, said in a statement.

The awards, which are named after Tony Award-winning Best Actress, Fort Worth Independent School District and Casa Mañana alumnae Betty Buckley, have promoted and celebrated excellence in high school musical theatre since 2000. A panel of judges composed of local theatre professionals and educators votes for a winner in each of 13 award categories for musicals. Design categories are divided into two levels dependent upon the budget size of the school's production.

The program culminates in a Tony Awards-style ceremony May 22, 2014, at Casa Mañana Theatre.

Awards include a $1,000 scholarship, provided by donors. Visit casamanana.org/cpac/buckley-awards for more information.