MIHS Drama Students Attend International Thespian Festival; 6 Recognized With Awards From the 5th Avenue Theatre

MIHS Drama Students (L-R): Greg Chvany, Alec Martin, Milo Mechem-Miller, and Annabel Rimmer

Mercer Island, WA, June 27, 2023 – The Mercer Island High School Drama Department had four students recently attend the International Thespian Festival and six students were recognized by the 5^th Avenue Theatre.

International Thespian Festival: Four MIHS Drama students, Greg Chvany, Alec Martin, Milo Mechem-Miller, and Annabel Rimmer were in Bloomington, Indiana last week attending the International Thespian Festival with 4,000 other high school Drama students from around the country. They participated in a number of workshops with working theatre artists, auditioned for colleges, watched award winning theatre, and completely immersed themselves in all things theatre.

Two of the students, junior Annabel Rimmer and senior Milo Mechem-Miller had placed here in Washington to compete at the national level in their respective categories, and competed last week against a number of students.

Annabel received an Excellent in her category, Solo Musical Theatre.

Milo received a Superior and because he earned a perfect score for his performance, was awarded a Thespy for his category, Solo Acting. This means he essentially achieved first place at the national level.

5th Avenue Theatre Awards Project: Under the guidance and direction of Katy Ramsey, the MIHS Drama Department is proud to announce the 5th Avenue Theatre has awarded six MIHS Drama students this year for achievements in musical theatre.

• Stage Manager Kindred McQueen received Special Honors: Student Achievement.
• Sadie Jensen received the Senior Spotlight Award.
• In the category for Character Development, Kyle Gerstel won Outstanding Work receiving a score higher than 90% from the judges.
• In the category for Character Development Abby Weiss, Asier Sadaba, and Milo Mechem-Miller won Special Recognition.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is thrilled to recognize the dedication of High School Musical Theater educators and students with the 2022/23 5th Avenue Theatre Awards Project. Now in its 21st year, this program honors the accomplishments of Washington State students and the communities that foster their talents.

The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards Project celebrates and honors exceptional accomplishments from the 2022/23 school year. Each year, high schools from across Washington State submit their work for consideration through The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards. This year a panel of acclaimed theater professionals viewed high school students’ submissions from across the state.