Footloose Production Honored in Spotlight Education Showcase

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- June 4, 2024 -- For their spring production of "Footloose: The Musical", the Stillwater Area High School theatre department has been selected to participate in Spotlight Education's 2024 Spotlight Showcase. 

Taking place at the State Theatre on June 10-11, the Spotlight Showcase is renowned as Minnesota high school theater’s largest annual celebration. Over 1,600 students participate in the annual awards and recognition event, presented by Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Spotlight Education program.

Stillwater's Footloose production earned an invitation to perform in the showcase through the honorable mention of the overall performance, paired with an outstanding rating in its overall technical production. Along with the Achievement in Theater success, the program also garnered 15 individual recognitions. Footloose ultimately earned nine total "Outstanding" achievements by Spotlight Education's evaluators. 

Individual honorees that received an outstanding or honorable mention honor were invited to perform in the Musical Honoree number, act as a Showcase host, or participate in building creative scenic elements or assist in the load-in and load-out of the Spotlight Showcase at the State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. 

Tickets for the June 10-11 Spotlight Showcase are on sale now and start at just $20. Shows take place each night at 7:30 p.m. In addition to invited performances, the event also highlights Minnesota theater educators and Spotlight alumni. 

Ensemble Honors

Footloose: Achievement in Musical Theatre - Honorable Mention 
Overall Technical Production: Outstanding
Sound Crew: Outstanding
Overall Technical Team: Outstanding
Light Crew: Outstanding
Overall Performance: Honorable Mention 
Ensemble Overall Performance: Honorable Mention 
Ensemble Acting Performance: Honorable Mention 
Ensemble Vocal Performance: Honorable Mention
Ensemble Dance Performance: Honorable Mention 
Student Orchestra: Honorable Mention 
Run Crew: Honorable Mention 

Individual Honors

Ella Josephson as Ariel Moore: Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role
Sonja Anderson as Vi Moore: Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role
Sophie Gardner as Board Operator: Outstanding in Technical Leadership
Kovu Troutfetter as Stage Manager: Outstanding in Technical Leadership
Megan Malinsky as Board Operator: Outstanding in Technical Leadership
Rowan Campbell as Ren McCormack: Honorable Mention in a Leading Role
Michael Fredericks as Reverend Shaw Moore: Honorable Mention in a Leading Role
Collin Burns as Willard Hewitt: Honorable Mention in a Supporting Role
Mallory Otsuka as Wendy Jo: Honorable Mention in a Featured Role
Jade Durant as Deck Captain: Honorable Mention in Technical Leadership
Christian Goette as Asst. Deck Captain: Honorable Mention in Technical Leadership
Evaluator Shoutouts: Lavender Schleder, Maysen Purhmann, Clara Melin, and Miles Lalich

Evaluators are asked to nominate individuals and elements that they believe are going above and beyond. Productions and individuals are not competing for a ranking or for limited spots for opportunities. The Spotlight Showcase highlights students and programs that are unique, taking equitable considerations into each school's production evaluation. Spotlight Education understands and embraces that the experience of live theater is inherently subjective, and while Spotlight evaluators are theater professionals that have been trained in the assessment process, they are four-to-five individuals with their own perspectives who encounter each production and program for only a few hours. 

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