Interview: Ari, Morgan, Zach, Britta, Julia, And Andrew of SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 2023 at State Theatre

On June 12-13, over 1,600 students will flock to the State Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis for Spotlight Showcase 2023: Minnesota high school theater's biggest (annual) celebration! The awards and recognition event highlights student performances, awards and alumni appearances. We caught up with the presenting/producing team and asked a few questions about the upcoming Spotlight Showcase. Purchase tickets to Spotlight

Click Here to purchase tickets to Spotlight Showcase 2023. For the most up-to-date event information, follow Spotlight Education @spotlight_mn

Enjoy the Q & A from the team putting together Spotlight Showcase 2023!

What does it mean to you to be a part of Spotlight Showcase?

ARI: Showcase to me is coming home. It is celebrating a year's worth of beautiful work from all over the state. It's a community. These students are amazing - every year this event reminds me that the work we do matters.

MORGAN: I was in Spotlight when I was in high school (shout out to Jefferson Theatre Companyl!) and it was the reason I went to college for theater. There is nothing like seeing a student step foot on the State Theatre stage for the first time and see their face light up and realize they found where they belong.

ZACH: This is the sort of celebration and event I wish existed when I was in high school. It's so gratifying to be able to provide that opportunity for students.

BRITTA: It means the opportunity for the Spotlight community to actually be in community with each other. Students, educators, artists and families from around the state gather in one beautiful space for two special nights.

JULIA: It's the most wonderful time of the year when the Spotlight Showcase comes around! It means bringing together an entire community of theater makers, old and new, from across Minnesota to celebrate theatre magic!

ANDREW: It means being a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

What is your specific role (and process!) in bringing Spotlight Showcase to life?

ARI: My job is to get out of the way! I'm lucky enough to have such an amazing team leading this programming. The education team, our artistic staff, and the Trust staff as a whole are brilliant folks. All of my energy and focus around Showcase goes into supporting the student, educator and community experience.

MORGAN: I help draft and send all the emails we send to students and directors for all things Showcase from participation confirmation emails to rehearsal reminders and anything in between. I also am responsible for putting together the playbill for Spotlight Showcase each year.

ZACH: I do a lot of behind-the-scenes work recruiting and coordinating volunteers. I'm also responsible for figuring out the complex backstage tracks for students to travel throughout the performance. We have hundreds of students each night that need to know where to go and how to get there!

BRITTA: I'm in contact with our (currently 94) Spotlight schools delivering feedback, honors and Spotlight Showcase information throughout the year and into Showcase season. I help to organize and support the schools that are bringing medleys and features from honored musicals and plays to the State Theatre stage, and I also make sure every student gets their Spotlight Showcase t-shirt!

JULIA: As the Spotlight Education Artistic Manager, I am the internal contact for project management and programming. There are so many moving pieces to make Spotlight Showcase happen, and I am involved year round planning student participation and event management.

ANDREW: I support Hennepin Theatre Trust by setting up the general management, onboarding a creative team, developing a design, and directing the show.

What do you hope students take away from this experience?

ARI: I hope students find each other in this experience. So much of the work we do is connecting folks. Showcase should be no different. Celebrate each other and create memories that will last.

MORGAN: I hope they walk away proud of the work they have done. It takes so much to put on a show, and Spotlight Showcase is a chance to celebrate all that hard work and make new connections. I am still friends with people I met at Showcase, and even was roommates with one in college!

ZACH: I really hope every student at Showcase finds a sense of belonging and community. It's such a great feeling to learn how many other people love the thing you love, and I want students to leave with new friends and an understanding of just how big and inclusive this art form is.

BRITTA: I hope they fall in love, or fall in love again, with the process of creating and sharing a night at the theater. I hope they feel seen and so proud of the work they've done!

JULIA: I hope that students feel a sense of belonging. It's not every day that so many passionate people are in one place creating a joyful, one-of-a-kind event! I also hope that technicians, musicians, and performers can grow, whether that's in their craft or as people!

ANDREW: I hope students walk away with lifelong memories, friends, and colleagues.

What's new and exciting about Spotlight Showcase 2023?

MORGAN: This year I am most excited for how we are getting students involved with Showcase. Like Zach said, we are really focusing on the student experience this year so it will be fun to see every student having the opportunity to bring this celebration to life through all aspects of theater!

ZACH: We put a lot of intention into the student experience this year and really want every step of the way to be a positive experience for high schoolers. No matter if you're an honored technician, playing in the pit, or up on stage, I think this year will be incredibly special and memorable.

BRITTA: By its very nature, there are always students who are new and are performing at Showcase for the first time. Experiencing the State Theatre for the first time. Being seen by the broader Minnesota community for the first time. That is something to witness!

JULIA: We have more students engaging in every area of this event than ever before. We have student musicians, technicians, actors, musical theater performers, publicists, presenters, the list goes on! We are putting students in the front and center of every piece of this event in hopes of showcasing not just their skills, but their leadership as well.

ANDREW: Onstage appearances from all 94 Spotlight Schools. And also lots of alumni engagement!

What do you hope audiences take away from the performance?

ARI: I hope folks walk away from this experience with a jolt of energy and joy. Understanding that what they just witnessed was the hard work of thousands of people. The students, the communities, and the state are bonded together in this space. The magnitude of what it takes to make this magic. And I hope people think beyond the event itself and recognize the multidisciplinary students behind the performances. They hear young humans are amazing.

MORGAN: I hope audiences take away from this experience just how many students benefit from Spotlight Education, but more importantly the directors and educators who give these students the opportunity to share these moments with us. We owe a lot to theater educators, and educators in general for all their support to their students and it doesn't go unnoticed!

ZACH: I want folks to realize just how important the arts are for Minnesota schools and students. So many schools and productions are represented at Showcase, and each of them represents SO MUCH work, time, and community investment.

BRITTA: Hope and excitement for the future of the arts!

JULIA: I hope audiences realize how thorough and dedicated our educational theater community is. Our high school theater programs have overcome every obstacle thrown at them in the last 3 years, and the joy and passion that audiences are onstage at Spotlight Showcase is truly a testament to how committed our community is to theater education throughout Minnesota.

ANDREW: I hope audiences recognize how valuable these experiences are for personal development/growth - and feel compelled to support their local theater communities!

What do you wish more people knew about Spotlight Education?

ARI: It truly is an all ships rise program. School success is our success. A strong and vibrant arts community is what we are seeking- this is how we play our part in that. We are lucky to live

MORGAN: We contract and support close to 200 artists locally and nationally through our programming which allows us to support not only artists, but the students they work with!

ZACH: Spotlight is more than just Showcase! This is an exciting time for us, but we have programs all year round for high school students -- craft workshops, student reviews, Broadway partnerships, you name it!

BRITTA: Echoing Zach - That we are always working to support and celebrate high school theater across the state all year long. The programming we offer throughout the year is what brings us to this amazing culminating moment every summer.

JULIA: Morgan and Zach are spot-on. There are so many different programs that Spotlight Education does throughout the year, for artists, educators, and students!

ANDREW: What Zach said. There are so many ways to be involved, year round! And @spotlight_mn is the place to learn about all of them. Follow now!

What restaurant would you recommend for guests in Downtown Minneapolis?

MORGAN: My favorite restaurant downtown has been the same ever since I was in middle school: Lotus Restaurant on West Grant Street in Minneapolis! Who doesn't love a great bowl of pho and supporting local businesses at the same time?!

ZACH: Go get some tacos at Barrio on Nicollet!

JULIA: Oh I love Barrio (Nicollet), The Local (Nicollet), Freehouse (North Loop), really too many to name!

ANDREW: If you want to splurge, Murray's!

Thank you Ari, Morgan, Zach, Julia, and Andrew!

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