Hennepin Theatre Trust Announces 2020-2021 Spotlight Education Honors

Hennepin Theatre Trust has announced the theater accomplishments of students and schools participating in the Trust's Spotlight Education program for the 2020-2021 academic year. As the Trust's premier education program, Spotlight Education supports and honors Minnesota high school students and programs focused on theater.

Eighty-three high schools throughout Minnesota currently participate in Spotlight Education programming, and schools that produced a musical or play this year had their production assessed by theater professionals and educators on behalf of the Trust. These critiques provided detailed educational feedback for the students and directors in categories ranging from overall production to individual performances. This year, 48 schools are being recognized for the extraordinary achievements and process of developing the young artists, onstage and offstage, in their high school theater program.

"For the arts to be recognized during this pandemic really helped the students understand the gravity of their work. We really missed an audience, but Spotlight provided that insight," said Jodene Wartman, co-director at Eagan High School. "The students can never be given enough feedback, support or measurement for their growth. Our school finds the assessment invaluable. The positive and supportive critiques were geared toward student growth and future possibilities."

This year's Spotlight Education honorees include students and productions from the following Minnesota high schools:

· Andover High School, Clue: On Stage High School Version, Schoolhouse Rock Live

· Benilde-St. Margaret's High School (St. Louis Park): Brighter Days

· Blaine High School: The Wizard of Oz

· Buffalo High School: A Tapestry of Hope: Our Gift to the Community

· Columbia Heights High School: The Wizard of Oz

· Concordia Academy (Roseville): Urinetown

· Coon Rapids High School: Almost, Maine, Into The Woods

· DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis): The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

· Eagan High School: Les Misérables: High School Edition

· Fridley High School: All Shook Up

· Hill-Murray School (Maplewood): Godspell

· Hinckley-Finlayson High School: The Invisible Man

· Hutchinson High School: Singin in the Rain

· Irondale High School (New Brighton): Heaven Help the Po Taters, High School Musical

· Kennedy High School (Bloomington): High School Musical

· Lakes International Language Academy (Forest Lake): Matilda the Musical

· Lakeville South High School: The Addams Family: Quarantined Concert Version

· Little Falls Community High School: The Theory of Relativity

· Mahtomedi High School: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Curtains, Mamma Mia!

· Math and Science Academy (Woodbury): The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

· Minnehaha Academy: Junie B. Jones the Musical, Museum

· Minnetonka High School: Something Rotten!

· Mound Westonka High School: All in the Timing

· Mounds Park Academy (St. Paul): Almost, Maine, A Midsummer Night's Dream

· North Branch Area High School: Grease

· North High School (North St. Paul): Chicago

· Orono High School: You're a Good Man Charlie Brown

· Owatonna High School: One Man, Two Guvnors

· Park High School (Cottage Grove): The Theory of Relativity

· Pierz-Healy High School: Little Shop of Horrors (2003 Broadway Edition)

· PiM Arts High School (Eden Prairie): The Addams Family

· Prior Lake High School: The Birds, Honk

· Rogers High School: Virtual Musical Mash-Up

· Sartell High School: The Addams Family: Concert Version

· Southwest Christian High School (Chaska): Annie

· Spring Lake Park High School: Spamalot

· St. Francis High School: Shrek, The Covid Cabaret: Writing and Singing through a Global Pandemic

· St. Michael-Albertville High School: Legally Blonde

· St. Paul Academy and Summit School (St. Paul): Under Milkwood

· Stillwater Area High School: Illumination 2021

· Thomas Edison High School (Minneapolis): Cyrano de Bergerac

· Thomas Jefferson High School (Bloomington): Beauty and the Beast

· Totino-Grace High School (Fridley): Little Women

· Vista Productions/Theatre Department of Visitation School and Saint Thomas Academy (Mendota Heights): The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Sweet Land the Musical

· Waconia High School: Spoon River, Little Women

· Wayzata High School: The Drowsy Chaperone

· Woodbury High School: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

· Zimmerman High School: Clue The Musical

For a complete list of all individual student honors, please visit the Trust's online Media Center at HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

On Tuesday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m., schools will be formally recognized during Spotlight Showcase 2021: Spotlight Belongs To Us. Winners will also be announced for the Triple Threat Broadway Experience and the Technical Theater Career Pathway awards. Spotlight Showcase 2021: Spotlight Belongs To Us is the Trust's annual event that formally recognizes the extraordinary achievements, hard work and talents of the students and educators who make up the vibrant high school theater community across Minnesota. The professionally filmed event will be streamed online and feature both live and pre-recorded content. This year's uplifting theme, Spotlight Belongs To Us, celebrates the spirit of unity among all participants in the Spotlight Education network.

The suggested donation to watch Spotlight Showcase 2021: Spotlight Belongs To Us is $15 which supports future Spotlight Education programming. Register at HennepinTheatreTrust.org to make your donation and receive your viewing link.

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