The Garden City High School Drama Department has received word that it has been honored with five Jester Award nominations for their production of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”. Additionally, another 11 regional honors were given to the school for the play.
The Jester Awards are held annually and hosted by Music Theatre of Wichita. Schools from around the state submit productions for consideration. This year GCHS submitted the fall production of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”.
Jester Nominations:
Musical Direction-Abigail Martinez
Production Number-I’d Like to Change Everything About You
Costume Design-Robyn Hilt
Lighting Design-Alice Hilt
Technical Achievement-Izzy Frey
Regional Honors:
Overall Production
Direction-Alice Hilt
Leading Actors-Julie Facio and Oliver Spencer
Supporting Actor-Paige Sanders
Ensemble
Stage Crew
Artistic Guest-Sean Boller
Scenic Design-Alice Hilt
Small Ensemble-Can-Can Girls
Sound Design-Tyler Richters
Program Design-Robyn Hilt
The Jester Awards showcase the next generation of musical theatre talent in Kansas. Each year, trained volunteer judges attend and evaluate dozens of performances. This year, 65 judges viewed 152 performances of 49 productions, involving more than 3,000 students and 49 schools across the state of Kansas. The program began in Wichita, but now extends as far as Liberal, Hays, Topeka, and Pittsburg, in addition to the greater Wichita area.
The Jester Awards Ceremony will take place at Century II Performing Arts Center’s Convention
Hall in Wichita at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, 2025. During the ceremony, all nominees will be
announced, and several will perform. Scholarship awards will be presented to three students –
two leading performers and a technical theatre recipient.
Tickets to the ceremony are $15 and available in advance (online only) or at the door. The Jester Awards is sponsored by the Naftzger Fund for the Fine Arts and the Lois K. Walls Jester Fund at MTWichita.
Alumni of the Jester Awards program can be seen onstage and backstage at Music Theatre Wichita this summer, as well as on Broadway and in regional theatres across the country.