Centerstage Theatre is growing its support for the next generation of theater every year.
Their school-year programming culminated in the third annual Spotlight Awards on June 2 at the Knutzen Family Theatre in Federal Way. The week before, students in their Page to Stage program got to experience their second live theater show this year.
Centerstage also announced a Summer Musical Intensive starting in July.
The cast of “Mean Girls” from Federal Way High School perform “Fearless” at the Spotlight Awards. Photos by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
Spotlight Awards
The Spotlight Awards highlight local talent in high school theater productions. The evening was filled with screams of joy and support for each other, both from individual schools in good-natured competition, but the whole room erupted with high volume cheers for every single nominee, showcasing the positive support of the theater community.
Awards included recognition for best lead actor, stage crew, ensemble, costumes and more. Five schools participated this year and Centerstage Theatre hopes to continue to grow that number to create an even larger regional event for South Sound theater students.
Participants this year included:
• Federal Way High School with “Mean Girls”
• Todd Beamer High School with “Newsies”
• Thomas Jefferson High School with “Urinetown”
• Decatur High School with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”
• Auburn High School with “Annie”
Thomas Jefferson High School walked away with first place for Show of the Year, Overall Vocals, Sound, and Lighting with a second place honorable mention for Stage Crew.
Decatur was honored with first place for Overall Dance, Stage Crew and tied for Costumes and Choreography.
Todd Beamer won for their Set Design and Props and received the second place honorable mention for Ensemble of the Year, Show of the Year and Overall Vocals.
Auburn High School took home the 1st prize for Ensemble of the Year with their production of “Annie.”
Federal Way High School tied for 1st place for Costumes and Choreography and won an honorable mention for Props.
Other awards included Leading Actor, Supporting Actor and Outstanding Achievement awards for graduating seniors.
The awards were presented by a variety of Centerstage Theatre staff and actors with recent or current roles in Centerstage productions.
The award announcements were interspersed with performances from each of the competing schools, showing off a highlight of that year’s production.
Thomas Jefferson High School students perform a number from their performance of “Urinetown” at the Spotlight Awards.
Page to Stage
The Page to Stage program was able to offer twice as much live theater experience to students this year.
The program focuses on connecting youth in drama classes to live theater, facilitating connection and mentorship with professional actors and offering special performances at no cost to the students.
This year students had the chance to see both a play (“Spider’s Web”) and a musical (“Something Rotten”) through Page to Stage.
While the program is a way to enrich the experience of students who are already in love with the theater arts, Trista Duval of Centerstage said the goal is to also connect with those students who may not have experienced much theater before.
In years past, actors have taken a day off from their day job and performed the special Page to Stage performances for free to make this access happen. This year, private donors helped provide at least a stipend to the actors.
At the special daytime performance of “Something Rotten,” 9th and 10th grade students from Todd Beamer told the Mirror that they enjoy live theater because it is “more immersive” than performances on a screen: “If they make a mistake, they can’t edit it out,” one student commented.
The group saw that in real time during the first act when an actor dropped an earring that another actor almost tripped on. The group gushed about how impressive the actors’ responses were: “They were so smooth about it!” one student said, and another commented on “how well they can stay in character.”
Students were highly engaged in the performance, applauding between every scene. At the end of the performance, they had the chance to ask the actors questions and hear about everything from their careers to how they get through awkward scenes.
For some students, the drama program is a chance to enjoy something they’ve loved since childhood, while for others, it is a chance to gain surprising skills.
12th grader Gabby Tay told the Mirror that she initially only took the drama class because her friend was taking it. At first, “I wasn’t so sure,” Gabby said. “I was nervous about performing.” Through the class, she gained confidence and got used to being in front of people and getting out of her comfort zone. Ultimately, the class helped her open up.
Centerstage Theatre’s production of “Something Rotten” runs through June 15 and the deadline to register for their Summer Musical Intensive is July 20. Find out more at centerstagetheatre.com.
Auburn High School performs a song from “Annie” at the Spotlight Awards at the Knutzen Family Theatre on June 2. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
Todd Beamer High School students use a copy of a newspaper in their performance of “Seize the Day” from their musical this year, “Newsies.” The cast performed at the Spotlight Awards on June 2. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
