First Night's Class of 2018 Most Promising Actors Revealed at Midwinter's First Night

More than two dozen young actors in Tennessee were named to the Class of 2018 Most Promising Actors during festivities at Midwinter's First Night, the event produced to recognize outstanding productions and personalities of the previous year's theatrical season.

Those individuals who are selected for membership in the Class of 2018 Most Promising Actors are nominated by their teachers and professors or are selected by First Night founder and executive producer Jeffrey Ellis, who has encountered them and assessed their talents during performances in productions reviewed.

Among the Most Promising Actors are students from Belmont University, Lipscomb University, Vanderbilt University and Middle Tennessee State University, as well as representatives from several area high schools. Hatty King, now a freshman at Lipscomb University, and Nathan Keffer, a senior at Ravenwood High School - both of whom were among the top six finalists at The Jimmy Awards in the summer of 2017 - are among the MPAs revealed Sunday night by 2011 First Night Star Award winner Kate Adams Kramer and Patrick Kramer at Midwinter's First Night.

Lucy Turner, a student at Nashville School of the Arts, who made her First Night Honors debut as a presenter at the age of 12 in 2011, is among high schoolers named to the class, along with Stella London, Michaela Ziparo and Trevor Golter, all of whom have appeared in musicals directed by Ellis ini 2017.

As members of the Class of 2018, the Most Promising Actors will be featured in a showcase this summer, during which they will be feted with their own honors recognition inspired by annual First Night Honors gala, and will be special guests, presenters and performers during the 2018 First Night Honors next fall.

Veteran director and educator Vickie Bailey is coordinator of the MPA Class of 2018.

The Class of 2018 First Night Most Promising Actors include...

Quintan Craig, Belmont University

Easton Curtis, Beech High School

Ayla David, Davidson Academy

Skylar Fisher, Hillsboro Comprehensive High School

Trevor Golter, Martin Luther King Jr. High School

Gabe Hoyer, Belmont University

Maddi Keaton, Lipscomb Academy

Nathan Keffer, Ravenwood High School

Hatty King, Lipscomb University

Dani List, Belmont University

Ava Locknar, Hume-Fogg Academic High School

Nate Lockwood, Davidson Academy

Stella London, Mt. Juliet High School

Hallie Long, Belmont University

Michael Maerlender, Vanderbilt University

Conner McCabe, Middle Tennessee State University

Emily Meinerding, Lipscomb University

Caleb Mitchell, Siegel High School graduate

Haley Sue Pearson, Lipscomb University

Natalie Risk, Lipscomb University

Astrid Rotenberry, Belmont University

Gracie Shepard, LaVergne High School

Danielle Threet, Belmont University graduate

Lucy Turner, Nashville School of the Arts

William Welch, Stewart's Creek High School

Michaela Ziparo, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Los Angeles

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