Ridgefield High School thespians pick up accolades

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Nine Ridgefield High School students were recognized for excellence in theatre at the annual Washington State Thespian Excellence Awards. Members of the Ridgefield Thespian Troupe No. 8635 won awards in multiple categories, according to a news release. 

Two students qualified to compete at the international level and for the first time, one RHS student was elected to the state student board.

Like many other recent competitions, the event was held virtually this year due to the pandemic, but the new format didn’t stop Spudders from excelling. Two students received scores of “superior” to earn gold medals in their categories: Senior Kaitlyn St. John in the solo musical theatre category and senior Peter Schafer in the monologue category. 

By winning their categories statewide, both students qualified for the International Thespian Excellence Awards in June, also known colloquially as the “Thespys.”

Seven Ridgefield High School students also achieved scores of “excellent” to earn silver medals at the 2021 awards. They include sophomores BriAnna Robbins, Ella Ross, and Summer Sedgley; juniors Avari Harrison and Sophia Miller; and seniors Cameron McGravey and Peter Schafer.



“I am so proud of these students,” Kaitlyn Etter, the theatre and dance instructor at RHS said in the release. “They all richly deserve recognition for their creative talents, but also for their perseverance and focus during a difficult and challenging time.”

Along with the awards, Ridgefield High School sophomore Summer Sedgley was selected to serve as a state officer for the Washington State Thespians organization for the 2020-21 school year. State Thespian Officers, or STOs, serve as the student voice for Washington Thespians, which is the state level chapter of the Educational Theatre Association. Sedgley is one of only four students statewide elected as an STO, according to the release. 

Sedgley completed a lengthy application and interview process to become the first student from Ridgefield to serve as a State Thespian Officer. In the coming year, Sedgley and other student board members will assist with developing and running state festivals, writing the newsletter, and managing social media for Washington State Thespians, as well as participating in outreach across the state. 

“One of the main goals of RHS Theatre and Thespian Troupe No. 8635 has always been to create leadership opportunities for our students and to build leadership skills,” Etter said. “Summer’s election to this state-level office is a testament to our program’s growth and the growth of our students. This is a great opportunity for Summer and she is an excellent choice for this position.”