Winnetonka High School Director Wins an Award for Community Impact
Winnetonka High School, Home of the Griffins is located in North Kansas City, Missouri. The Winnetonka Theatre Department won the Starlight Theatre Blue Star Community Impact Award recently at the Blue Star Awards for their theme and vision for Pippin. Sheri Coffman, theater director, was excited to accept this award on the schools’ behalf. Pippin is a story of a young prince who longs to find passion and adventure in his life. To prove his loyalty to his father, King Charles, Pippin decides to go to war. When the Leading Player convinces the prince to fight tyranny, Pippin kills his father and takes over the Kings throne. Realizing he made a mistake, Pippin begs the Leading Player to bring his father back to life, and she obliges. The prince falls in love with Catherine, a widow with a young son. Pippin struggles to decide whether he should settle down and pursue the easier more peaceful life or continue to make magic with the stunning troupe of performers.
This is not the first time the department won an award, in previous years, Winnetonka High School Theater Department was a proud recipient of many Blue Star Awards which included:
2015’s Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role — Paden Osburn — Daisy Hilton — Side Show, Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Lead — Zach Faust William Barfee’ — 25th Annual, Putnam County Spelling Bee, Rising Star Scholarship — Madison Dodd, 12 Nominations Overall
2014’s Outstanding Costume Design — Disney’s Little Mermaid JR, 6 Nominations Overall
2013’s Outstanding Hair and Make-Up Design — Hairspray, Outstanding Technical Crew — Hair and Make-Up — Hairspray, 8 Nominations Overall
2012’s Outstanding Scenic Design — Seussical, Outstanding Costume Design — Seussical, Outstanding Hair and Make-Up Design — Seussical, Outstanding Lighting Design — Seussical, 10 Nominations Overall
2011’s Outstanding Scenic Design — CATS, Outstanding Costume Design — CATS, Outstanding Hair and Make-Up Design — CATS, Outstanding Lighting Design — CATS, 6 Nominations Overall
2010’s Outstanding Costume Design — OKLAHOMA! Outstanding Scenic Design — OKLAHOMA! 4 Nominations Overall
2005’s, Outstanding Hair and Make-Up — Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, 5 Nominations Overall
Blue Star Awards was designed following the Broadway’s Tony Awards, which started in midtown Manhattan. The program was established in 2003 and is one of the largest admired high school theater awards programs in the nation. All high schools in the metropolitan Kansas City area come to participate. Every year over 5000 students participate on stage or behind the scenes in their school’s theater productions. And every year the program concludes with a red-carpet Blue Star Award Ceremony on the Starlight Stage. Sheri Coffman, theater director is proud to be part of such an award that recognizes the students, and teachers for their devotion and inspiration in musical theater.
