Dayton.com: Wright State named title sponsor of Miami Valley High School Theatre Awards

Excerpt

Wright State is now the title sponsor of the Miami Valley High School Theatre Awards and will begin offering scholarships to students who participate in the program.

Wright State University and its School of Fine and Performing Arts has been named title sponsor of the Miami Valley High School Theatre Awards (MVHSTA).

Facilitated under the auspices of Dayton Live, MVHSTA salutes plays, musicals, students and educators. The organization’s aim is to celebrate, support and advocate for high school theater education throughout the Miami Valley region.

This is the first time MVHSTA has had an official title sponsor.

Partnering with MVHSTA and Dayton Live will help strengthen Wright State’s connection with the local arts community, said Dan Zehringer, professor of music and chair of the School of Fine and Performing Arts.

“We see this as a real win-win for Dayton Live and for Wright State,” said Zehringer, in a news release. “Having a mutually supported relationship with our professional arts organizations downtown is paramount to our success. We rise together when we support each other.”

“We are thrilled to have Wright State University as the title sponsor for the Miami Valley High School Theatre Awards,” added Gary Minyard, chief creative officer of Dayton Live. “This program celebrates, supports and advocates for high school theatre programs across the Miami Valley, and to add this partnership means thousands of high school students in our region will continue to receive the very best performing arts experiences. I can’t wait to see how the MVHSTAs grow over the next few years.”

And beginning in the 2024–2025 academic year, Wright State will annually offer two scholarships to students who participate in MVHSTA and are accepted into the university’s theatre program.

One of the scholarships will be awarded to a student majoring in musical theatre or acting, and the other will be awarded to a student majoring in theatre design, technology or stage management.

“I think there is an opportunity to say to these students, ‘Design technology is a possible career option for you. You can have a fabulous career in the back of the theatre, building sets, designing sound and lighting, and dressing actors,” Zehringer said. “There’s a space for you, and we want to help you realize that dream.”

During the 2022–23 academic year, students from 26 local high schools participated in the Miami Valley High School Theatre Awards program, culminating in a showcase event and awards ceremony on June 6 that featured 400 students performing on the Schuster Center stage.

Centerville High School graduate Patrick Comunale and Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School rising senior Maggie Weckesser will represent MVHSTA at the 31st annual Jimmy Awards in New York City on June 26 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre, the home of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The Jimmy Awards are also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. Dayton Live is an official Regional Awards Program with the National High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Zehringer said becoming the title sponsor of MVHSTA signals to students and parents that Wright State values the arts and supports programs important to students.

“We’re excited to let the community know that we’re here, that we’re a great value, and we have nationally and internationally recognized arts program,” he said.

View the original story at Dayton.com