 Due to new COVID-19 restrictions, PHS Theatre's production of "Forbidden Broadway," postponed from November to Dec. 4-6, will not be performed for a live audience as originally planned.
Patrons who wish to watch the show streamed online may purchase streaming passes at https://phsdragons.booktix.com/ Streaming passes already purchased for the show's original date in November still are valid for the December performance. Those who had already purchased in-person tickets will be hearing soon from Director Jason Huffman via email about your options. Questions? Please email jhuffman@usd250.org. Thanks for your continued support of PHS students!
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POSTPONED Tickets may now be purchased for remote viewing and in-person viewing of “Forbidden Broadway,” a musical produced by PHS Music Rep Theatre Class.
Showtimes: 7 p.m. Nov. 13 and Nov. 14 2 p.m. Nov. 15. Tickets: Streaming passes will be $11. In-person tickets purchased at the door with cash or check are $5 (students), $8 (senior citizens), and $10 (adults). Those tickets will be sold 45 minutes prior to each showtime. In-person tickets purchased online in advance are $6 (students), $9.25 (senior citizens), and $11.50 (adults). Seating is limited for in-person viewing and social distancing protocols will be followed. Masks will be mandatory. Buy now: https://phsdragons.booktix.com/ About the show: In this long-running Off-Broadway hit musical revue, Broadway’s greatest musical legends meet Broadway’s greatest satirist in this hilarious, loving, and endlessly entertaining tribute to some of the theatre’s greatest stars and songwriters. There’s Chicago, Annie, Wicked, Mama Mia, Rent, and so much more. Directed by Jason Huffman.  Clue is coming!
The first show of PHS Theatre’s season will open next week at Pittsburg High School with limited in-person seating and online streaming for remote audiences! Tickets for in-person viewing will be sold in the lobby starting 45 minutes before each show. Adults: $10. Senior citizens: $8. Students: $5. Masks are required and social distancing will be enforced. Tickets for online, streamed viewing are $13.95 and can be purchased in advance at the following links: 7 p.m. Oct. 15: https://bit.ly/2GGB7c7 7 p.m. Oct. 17: https://bit.ly/33ECXmy 2 p.m. Oct. 18: https://bit.ly/3nxofFG Kansas Thespians, a chapter of the Educational Theatre Association, has announced that Pittsburg High School Theatre Director Greg Shaw is being inducted into the 2021 Kansas Thespian Hall of Fame.
On Friday, a drive-by parade to recognize the honor will be held for Shaw at his home, where he is receiving care after last year being diagnosed with Glioblastoma. Shaw, who has taught at PHS for 13 years, continued directing last year as long as he was able before taking a leave of absence this fall. His dedication to the program was honored this summer with the International Thespian Society’s Spirit of Thespis Award. “This honor is bestowed to individuals who strive for excellence in theatre education, go above and beyond expectations in developing a theatre program of excellence, and have impacted Kansas Thespians in amazing ways,” said Jennifer Morgan Beuchat, a member of the Kansas Thespians state board of directors. “We’re proud to announce Greg Shaw as an inductee.” Under his direction, PHS Theatre has grown in scope, number of productions, and audience size, and has been invited to perform on the main stage at the State Thespian Festival and the International Thespian Festival a combined four times in the last five years. Since 2008, the program has also produced a full range of social issue plays with themes that represent realities that face youth every day, including teen suicide, school violence, eating disorders, and more, earning both state and national recognition as the Kansas NEA Human and Civil Rights Award and as a Promising Practices by the Character Education Partnership. The PHS Theatre program has been recognized with more than 40 Jester Awards since 2016, including Best Direction of Show for Shrek, Seussical, and Little Mermaid. Shaw, who earned his degree from Pittsburg State University, has served on the Kansas Thespians Board of Directors and the Pittsburg Community Theatre Board of Directors. In 2017, he was named an honorary mention as a finalist for the Excellence In Theatre Education Award sponsored by The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University. He and his wife, Dr. Angela Shaw, have two daughters, McKenna and Marley, who also are active in the performing arts. They are residents of Pittsburg.   Director Jason Huffman has announced the cast list of Clue On Stage, the first show of Pittsburg High School's 2020-21 season. Congratulations to those who were cast, and thank you to all who auditioned! Scripts may be picked up on Friday, Sept. 4, in Mr. Huffman's classroom, Room 413. The first read-through will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Cast members are asked to please confirm their acceptance of their part. The show is planned as the all-school play for 7 p.m. Oct. 15 and 17 and 2 p.m. Oct. 18. More details will be released about tickets soon. About the show:
Each of the guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well . . . dead. So whodunnit? Join the iconic oddballs known as Scarlet, Plum, White, Green, Peacock, and Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up! Based on the cult classic film and the popular board game, Clue is a madcap comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist.  As you may be aware, our friend, colleague, mentor, director, and teacher Greg Shaw continues his struggle for healing. As you may have seen in the latest entry in his wife Angela Sue's Caring Bridge journal, Mr. Shaw recently suffered a stroke following yet another surgery.
Want to help but don't know how? We encourage you to record a video of yourself sharing a message for him to see. Once you have recorded it, send it to band teacher Cooper Neil at cneil@usd250.org by using www.WeTransfer.com (this is a very easy and quick process). He will make sure that the video is passed on to Mr. Shaw through Angie — Mr. Neil will not watch any of the videos. Let's call it a "Virtual Circle Time," if you will. In the world of theater, everyone involved in a production gathers for Circle Time just before the curtain goes up to share inspiring words and to pass energy through clasped hands. TO PARTICIPATE:
REMINDERS:
 Pittsburg High School theatre teacher Greg Shaw has been honored with the International Thespian Society Spirit of Thespis Award, a discretionary honor that recognizes up to three schools or individuals that, when faced with a serious challenge, demonstrated grace under pressure.
ITS, established in 1929, has 2.4 million members and is the honor society for middle and high school drama students. A thespian troupe is a group of students who have earned induction into the honor society. ITS is a program of the Educational Theatre Association. Shaw serves as the director of Thespian Troupe 3149 at PHS. In recent years, he has taken numerous productions to Kansas Thespian Festival, including the 2020 opening show Pippin, the 2019 International Thespian Festival show Bring It On, which was also the Kansas Thespians All-State Musical, and the 2018 Kansas Thespian Festival and International Thespian Festival main stage show, Urinetown. Shaw, who earned his degree from Pittsburg State University, serves on the Kansas Thespians Board of Directors and on the Pittsburg Community Theatre Board of Directors. He has continued this service, and his teaching, during a difficult battle with brain cancer that began last year. In nominating him for the award, Jennifer Morgan-Beauchat, director of Thespian Troupe 287 in Leavenworth, Kansas, described Shaw as being gritty, creative, determined, and a stalwart advocate for his students and program. “He is considered by many to be a fine director, teacher, and friend,” she said, adding that she wishes the Spirit of Thespis Award “will offer hope and inspiration to an amazing person who represents theatre in our schools with grace and class.” The award was presented this evening, Friday, June 26, as part of a teacher tribute at the first-ever Virtual International Thespian Festival held June 22-26. "This surprise was very special — and no one can usually surprise me!," Shaw said. "I am very honored to have received the award. We always start every pre-show by saying, 'if it falls pick it up, if someone falls, help them up.' This award definitely exemplifies this motto." Shaw said he "couldn’t accept this without recognizing the team that helped me when my health was suffering: Jason Huffman, Chuck Boyles, Cooper Neil, Susan Laushman, Kimberly Arzoian, Julie Laflen, Andra Stefanoni, Ray Cornell, my daughter, McKenna, the drama mamas and papas, my students, the teachers and administration and I’m sure I’m missing some! None of our success has ever stemmed from luck. Hard work, talent and confidence in our team is what makes PHS Theatre thrive." About the Educational Theatre Association, home of the International Thespian Society The Educational Theatre Association is an international nonprofit association with more than 139,000 active members. EdTA’s mission is shaping lives through theatre education: honoring student achievement in theatre; supporting teachers by providing professional development, resources, and recognition; and influencing public opinion that theatre education is essential and builds life skills. EdTA is the home of the International Thespian Society, an honorary organization established at nearly 5,000 schools, that has inducted more than 2.4 million theatre students since its founding in 1929. EdTA also produces the International Thespian Festival and publishes Dramatics magazine in print and online for high school theatre students, and Teaching Theatre, a journal for theatre education professionals. The Educational Theatre Foundation is the philanthropic arm of EdTA. Statement on diversity and inclusion.  PHS Theatre has been nominated for five Jester Awards by Music Theater Wichita, the organization announced Monday afternoon, for the February production of Disney’s “Freaky Friday,” the musical. Since the inception of the Jester Awards, trained volunteer judges have been attending and evaluating dozens of performances across Kansas; the judges’ scoring has determined the award recipients in two dozen categories. This year, 46 judges viewed 144 performances of 48 productions, involving more than 3,000 students and extending as far as Liberal, Hays, Salina, Pittsburg, and Topeka, in addition to the greater Wichita area. PHS Theatre’s nominations include: Direction of Show - Jason Huffman and Greg Shaw Leading Actress - McKenna Shaw (Katherine Blake) Orchestra Direction - Cooper Neil Vocal Direction - Kimberly Arzoian Artistic Guest - Maggie and Mollie Stephens (Choreography) Starting at 4 p.m. on May 3, PHS Theatre will be among the honorees recognized at the 19th Annual Jester Awards Ceremony — typically held live at the Century II in Wichita — in the first ever digital broadcast in order to observe the restriction on large in-person gatherings. MTWichita Producing Artistic Director Wayne Bryan noted it will allow the excitement to reach a larger viewership. “Theater people love the Tony Awards every year, even though most of us have never seen them in person,” he said. “This new online version of the annual Jester Awards will allow the local theatrical excitement to reach a huge audience. The 2020 Jester Awards broadcast will include Broadway celebrity presenters for the first time, and will strive to convey the magic of live theater.” Continuing a competition element begun last year, each of the Leading Actor and Leading Actress nominees — including PHS senior McKenna Shaw — will be featured in special solo performances, adjudicated by a team of professional judges. At the end of the broadcast, the two top recipients will be announced and awarded their cash scholarships. “Although we always love the in-person interaction with young people across the state at the Jester Awards, everyone who is part of the Jester Awards Program is rallying behind the necessity of an online event,” said Jester Program Director Angela Trotter. “During the turmoil of a global pandemic, it is so important for us to recognize and encourage our young people for their hard work this year. The Jester Awards will be an evening to remember!” To join the free broadcast, sign up for MTWichita emails at mtwichita.org, or follow MTWichita on Facebook to get a link and password. It will be hosted by award-winning Wichita theater artists Rachel Downs and Steve Hitchcock. Scholarship awards will be presented to three students, lead male and female honorees and a technical theater recipient. Past Jester nominations have been made for PHS Theatre’s productions of “Shrek,” “Seussical,” “Band Geeks,” “Addams Family,” “Little Mermaid,” and “Aida,” earning the program 43 Jester awards for those shows.   Fifty cast, crew, and band members will prepare for the performance of "Pippin,” the musical, which judges chose PHS to perform on opening night on the main stage at the Kansas Thespian Festival, with a unique dress rehearsal.
That rehearsal will be open to the public on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 2 p.m. at Pittsburg High School, 1978 E. Fourth St., in Pittsburg. Director Greg Shaw, band director Cooper Neil, and music director Susan Laushman received word in early December that Pippin made the cut to open the three-day festival, which runs Jan. 9-11 in Wichita, Kansas, at the Century II Convention Center. It draws nearly 2,000 students, teachers, and chaperones from across the state. This is the fourth time for PHS to win such an honor: "Crimes of the Heart" was chosen for the main stage at State in 2011, “Band Geeks” was chosen in 2016, and “Urinetown” was chosen in 2018. Following the last performance of the regularly-scheduled "Pippin" production at Memorial Auditorium on Nov. 17, cast and crew stored costumes, wigs, makeup, props, and carefully dismantled set pieces for storage in hopes that they would get word from the statewide festival directors that their show had been chosen for performance at the event by judges who travel the circuit of other high school contenders all fall. Cast, crew, and adult chaperones will unload all of it and build the set and install lighting and sound design the morning of Saturday, Jan. 4, followed by a rehearsal that afternoon. Tickets for the Sunday show are $5 general admission and will be available for purchase at the door starting at 1 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating will begin at 1:30 p.m. Friends of PHS Performing Arts will accept donations during intermission to offset travel expenses.  The teachers who led the audition process would like to thank everyone who auditioned, and they appreciate everyone's patience in announcing the cast list! A read-through will be held today at PHS at 2 p.m. The show will be produced Feb. 20-23 at Memorial Auditorium. Tickets will go on sale in early January.
Ellie - Addy Campbell Katherine - McKenna Shaw Gretchen - Kate Thueson Hannah - Sophie Casper Savannah - Mona Estes Torrey - Ainsley Balthazor Fletcher - Ben Shawn Wells - Ethan McConnell Parker/Louis - Xavier Huffman Pastor Bruno - Keller Erwin Adam - Gabe Anderson Mike - Bo McDowell Dr. Ehrin - Dallas Cox Ms. Meyers/Savannah’s Mom - Kylee Eidson Mrs. Luckenbill/Caterer - Emma Noonoo Mr. Blumen/Student/Caterer - Jack Stefanoni Grandpa Gordon/Señor O’Brien/Parker’s Dad - Christopher Saman Officer Sitz/Student/Caterer - Aunyx Estes Officer Kowalski - Katherine Kirby Well’s Dad/Caterer - Logan Jones Mrs. Time/Student/Caterer - Annabella Beachner Gretchen’s Mom/Student/Caterer - Grace Puckett Danielle/Savannah Minion/Student - Franchesca Brownhanney Grandma/Adam’s Mom - River Peery Laurel/Caterer - Maddy Shawn Savannah Minion/Student - Ella Rhuems Savannah Minion/Student - Mallory Womeldorff Student/Caterer - Ellie Carpenter Student/Caterer - Alyvia Swartz Student/Caterer - Greely Arck Student/Caterer - Anna Hall Student/Caterer - Hannah Aragon Student/Caterer - Tate Campbell Student/Caterer - Declan Ortiz |
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Pittsburg High School • Part of USD 250 Community Schools • Pittsburg, Kansas • 620-235-3200
Created for Pittsburg High School Theatre by Andra Stefanoni