Seaman High theater director reports national qualifiers, new equipment

Michael Stauffer, director of theater at Seaman High School, told the Seaman USD 345 Board of Education on March 25 that five students qualified this year for the International Thespian Festival and the department earned the Kansas Thespians Gold Honor Troop designation for the seventh consecutive year.

The update, delivered during the board's regular meeting, outlined recent festival participation and awards. "We took about 30 students, and about 24 of them completed competed with what are known as thespies. We qualified 3 students to the International Thespian Festival in June. And in another qualifying event, we also also qualified 2 more," Stauffer said. He also noted individual honors including Cody Monholland’s outstanding male lead award and Anna Sage’s superior solo performance at the international festival.

Stauffer described year-round programming and student-led events, from fall plays to student-directed one-acts in April. He said the department typically involves 30 to 60 students in its activities and highlighted outreach such as ticket-sharing with area schools, combined improv shows with Topeka West High School and planned visits by Northern Hills Elementary.

The director thanked the board for approving new lights and sound equipment for the auditorium, saying the upgrades let students “perform with an appropriate outfitted space” and reduce the need for fundraising. He invited board members to attend upcoming events, including the Viking Variety Show on March 27 and the International Thespian Festival in Bloomington, Indiana, in June.

The board acknowledged the presentation and briefly discussed the site of the international festival and other schedule items; no formal district action was taken during the presentation.