Peninsula Players Theatre Unveils 2025 Peninsula Players Theatre Scholarship Recipients

Peninsula Players Theatre has revealed its 2025 Peninsula Players Theatre Scholarship recipients. The Theatre and its Board of Directors created this annual award to foster the career path and arts education of graduating high school seniors across Door County.

A $1,000 scholarship was available to one student at each of the five Door County high schools, as well as one scholarship for homeschooled students, for a total of $6,000. Eligible applicants must plan to enroll as a full-time college student with a major or minor in arts management, music (performance or education), or theatre (acting, theatre studies, theatre technology and design). “The arts are such a critical part of a student's overall education as well as continued personal development,” said Peninsula Players Theatre's Managing Director Brian Kelsey. “It is with great pride that we reward and encourage the development of careers in the performing arts.”

The 2025 scholarship recipients are Ellie Engerson, Caleb Johnson and Benedict Salmi-Klotz. These students demonstrated a high level of participation and creativity in the arts during their academic careers.

Ellie is a graduate of Southern Door High School with a passion for singing. She intends to pursue a degree in music education with a choral emphasis at Northern Michigan University. Ellie has participated in a variety of performing arts during her time at Southern Door, including the annual musical, show choir, forensics and dance team. Ellie's dream is to become a middle or high school choir director.

Caleb is a graduate of Sevastopol High School, where he has honed his craft in music. He has participated in concert band, pep band, jazz band, choir and solo ensemble. He also had the honor of performing with the Bay Area Music Association's honors band and honors choir for multiple years. Caleb plans to attend the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh to pursue a Bachelor of Music in music composition. His dream is to become a composer, writing music for bands, symphonies and other ensembles.

Benedict is a local homeschooled student with a passion for the arts. He has immersed himself in Gibraltar High School's theatre department, participating in six productions in a variety of roles, including lead actor, stage manager, choreographer, set designer and student director. Benedict intends to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in drama at Queen Margaret University in Scotland. He then hopes to pursue an advanced degree in theatre direction or arts administration so that he may ultimately land in his dream career of becoming a theatre director and playwright.