The Backstage
Buzz
Fall Edition, July 2015
A Welcome to NAHS Theatre Arts…
In This Issue...
2
NAHS Theatre Arts student
Katie West performs at the
International Thespian Festival
3
NAHS Theatre Arts students
chosen for national and
summer programs!
4
2014-2015 Season
The Spotlight: Andy Hammond
Where impossible things are
happening every day!
New Albany Theatre Arts has a HUGE year ahead and the staff
members have been working hard all summer to prepare for our
production season! From big splashy musicals like Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to Shrek the Musical to our small
intimate play, A Piece of My Heart, this year is sure to bring some
amazing opportunities for our students. Check out our full
production season and what our students have been up to this
summer in this fall’s
Backstage Buzz Newsletter!
Impossible things are happening EVERY day
with New Albany Theatre Arts!
Amy Harpenau
Director of Theatre Arts
Katie West chosen to
perform at the
International Thespian
Festival 2015
This June New Albany Theatre Arts rising Junior, Katie West was selected as one of 20 student
Thespian performers from all over the country to perform on the Leid Center Stage and work with industry
professionals to open the national high school theatre festival in An Evening With…The Music of Alan
Menken.
Katie worked with and performed alongside Broadway professionals after an intense three day
rehearsal period to prepare the show. The show was performed twice for audiences of over 4,000 student
Thespians and professional theatre educators. Rising Junior, Juliet Gahan, also performed in the opening
and closing number as a part of the international ensemble for the show.
A group of New Albany Theatre Arts students also spent a week in Lincoln, Nebraska taking acting
and vocal workshops, seeing shows, and learning about college and career opportunities in fine arts.
Students got to spend time working with industry professionals and meeting other peers from around the
country who share their dedicated passion for theatre.
New Albany High School theatre has been to the festival dozens of times and has had a show
selected to perform 9 times. In 2004, the troupe received the “Outstanding High School Theatre” award
from the International Thespian Society.
The International Thespian Society is an honorary organization for high school theatre, much like
lettering in athletics or being inducted into the National Honor Society for academics. This national
organization is a part of the Educational Theatre Association. Students earn points for their participation in
a variety of theatre disciplines including acting, tech, and design. Induction is held at the end of every
school year and new members join NAHS Troupe #4051 every spring.
This Honor Society provides an opportunity for students to become strong leaders through holding
board positions and working with the school student body to provide activities and community service
projects. It provides a venue for college scholarships and participation in theatre on the local and
national levels.
NAHS and FCHS Theatre Arts
students at the festival in
Lincoln, Nebraska
2
Katie West (center) in
An Evening With…
NAHS Theatre Arts
Students in National
and Summer
Productions
As a part of the newly established production
company, New Albany RiverStage Productions, several
NAHS Theatre Arts students were featured in NARP’s annual
production, Grease. One of them, Juliet Gahan playing
Marty, was featured in a principle role representing NAHS
among 50+ students from the five surrounding area
counties in this summer production. NAHS students involved
spent the summer rehearsing and promoting the
company’s show that was performed on the New Albany
Riverfront Amphitheater stage July 25th, July 26th, and July
27th.
June 2015 graduate Tara Smith was
selected as one of six students to travel to New
York City to work on the world premiere of an
off-Broadway production with the National
Theatre for Student Artists. The play Expedition, is
a full-length drama by Rae Binstock (Columbia
University ’15) and is being directed by Alex
Tobey (Carnegie Mellon University ’15).
Performances will played at the New York
Theatre Workshop’s Fourth Street Theatre in July.
June 2015 graduate Nick Johnson was selected to
attend the New England Music Camp’s musical theatre
program. In a select group of students from all over the
nation, Nick will be performing as the Prince/Wolf in the
musical Into the Woods this August. Nick will be working with
theatre professionals from all over the nation and today’s
current Broadway professionals for 6 weeks in Maine.
Rising Senior Jack Amend is currently attending the
prestigious Interlochen International Summer Arts camp in
Michigan. Jack was one of 40 students from across the
nation accepted into the 6 week Musical Theatre
Production program and will be performing in the ensemble
of the musical "Crazy for You. Jack will also be seen in the
Indiana All-State Thespian production of Footloose next
January along with rising Senior Samantha Titus.
Rising Senior Lillie Weber was one of only 10 high
school students to intern and perform at the Muny in St.
Louis. The Muny, America's premier summer musical theatre,
and Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts, a
national leader in training for Musical Theatre, joined forces
to launch a summer program for emerging young artists.
3Lillie was seen in the ensemble of Hairspray!
Rising Senior Jareth Gaddis was selected
as the youngest cast member in The Gilbert and
Sullivan Society of Louisville’s production of HMS
Pinafore playing this weekend at Sullivan
Auditorium.
NAHS Theatre Arts congratulates and celebrates
these student successes and cannot wait to see
what is in store for the coming school year!
New Albany High School Theatre Arts
proudly presents...
2015-2016 Season!
Stay up to date! Visit our Facebook
page “New Albany Theatre Arts” or
our website
newalbanytheatrearts.org for the
latest department buzz!
The Spotlight
Andy Hammond is our
brand new technical
theatre teacher. Andy is a
graduate of Evansville
University with a degree in
Technical Theatre. Andy
has been working as a
NAFCS Theatre Departments Combine for
Harvest Homecoming Parade!
professionally trained and
certified rigger and
Technical Director prior to
Look for our float featuring performers from
Floyd Central, New Albany, Hazelwood,
Highland Hills, and Scribner!
coming to NAHS. We are
glad to have Mr.
Hammond on the Bulldog
theatre team!
The Cabaret Series…
Musicals on the Silver Screen
AUDITIONS
MONDAY, AUGUST 3RD
2:45pm
STUDIO THEATRE
4
Calling all parent and
community volunteers!
Join us for our first Backstage Booster
meeting on Tuesday, August 25thth at
6:15PM in the Tom Weatherston
Studio Theatre.
Students should prepare one of the audition
cuts provided. Music can be found by the
Backstage Buzz Board outside of Ms.
Harpenau’s room, D203.
For more information visit our
department website at
nahstheatrearts.org!
Welcome to NAHS Theatre
Arts
Mr. Hammond!
Technical Theatre
Teacher and
Technical Theatre
Director Andy
Hammmond