The show must go on at WCSPA

METRO DETROIT — Students from the Warren Consolidated School of Performing Arts were center stage when they attended the Michigan Thespian Festival Dec. 8-9 at the Lansing Center & Radisson Hotel.

The annual event welcomed students from 65 high schools across the state. The festival gave students the opportunity to network with peers, see shows, compete in various events and attend workshops. They auditioned for universities and colleges from throughout the Midwest, New York City and Los Angeles.

At the festival, the following seniors were offered a total of $2.7 million in theater scholarships: Andrew Hauk, Autumn Hearn, Jaden Brummel, Jason Dempsey, Kaden Selvidge, Kaitlyn Wrubel, Kella Elswick, Lillian Cross, Melania Brostenianc, Mia Frances Bustamante, Santino Williams and Yasmeeen Harris. In addition, Hearn was awarded the honorary Thespian Scholarship, which is given to the top 10 theater students in the state of Michigan.

“The level of dedication of our seniors in combination with the sheer amount of work they have put in over their past four years here has truly paid off. They have excelled both in the classroom and behind the scenes,” WCSPA Artistic Director Erik Hart said in a prepared statement. “The support they’ve given each other and their growth as self-actualized learners is what I find most inspiring though. They are very fortunate to live in a school district that supports the arts and they have truly taken advantage of that to get where they are today.”

Many students received awards in the individual events competition, where four ratings were given: poor, good, excellent or superior. WCSPA received 26 excellent and 23 superior ratings in the categories of solo musical, duet musical, group musical, monologue, duet acting, group acting, theater marketing, scenic design, costume design, makeup design, short film and stage management.

For their accomplishments, the students were recognized at the Jan. 18 Warren Consolidated Schools Board of Education meeting.

WCSPA, located inside Sterling Heights High School, is a gathering place for students studying all aspects of live theater. The two-hour class is offered during the school day as part of the high school curriculum. Working under several teachers, students must audition and if accepted, they immerse themselves in acting, dancing, music, scenery design, sound effects, set construction, costumes and more.

For more information visit wcspa.net.