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The Oconomowoc High School Players is the theater department at Oconomowoc High School in Oconomowoc, WI. Placed in a community that supports the arts[1], the Oconomowoc High School Playersis a well accomplished high school theater department over the past decade, as demonstrated by its earning of the right to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, winning twenty three Tommy Awards (the highest award in the state of Wisconsin for High School theater) with possible nominees for the National High School Musical Theater Awards on Broadway, and producing an original play titled Life Out Loud.

Fringe Festival

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Oconomowoc High School was invited to visit the largest Theater festival in the world, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009.[2] Students, along with director and teacher at Oconomowoc High School, Mr. Thomas Klubertanz [2], created and produced an original play, titled Life out Loud, to be performed in their 90 minute slot at the Fringe Festival. The idea of a new play was inspired by the students and Mr. Klubertanz in order to fit allotted time. At the given time allotted most plays would have to be cut, in order to fit the time slot, making an already written play a difficult task.[2] Life out Loud is a story made of vignettes with the purpose of teaching a wide array of life lessons including "Kids don't always view their parents as role models" and "My freedom is determined by me". [3]

Tommy Awards

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In the previous three years the Oconomowoc High School Players have won twenty three state wide awards, called Tommys, including "Most Outstanding Musical" for its productions of Into the Woods and Urinetown. More than forty four productions, including Oconomowoc High School. each year in the state of Wisconsin are reviewed by the Tommy Awards panel, composed entirely of theater professionals, educators, and others, for the possibility of winning the coveted award.[4] For the 2009 Oconomowoc High School Players' production of Into the Woods the Oconomowoc High School Players were awarded twelve Tommy's.[5] In 2010 eight Tommmy's were awarded for the production of Bye Bye Birdie,[6] and five were awarded in 2011 for the production of Urinetown.[4]. According to Time Sauers, Director of the Overture Center and a past critic for the Chicago Tribune, the students at Oconomowoc High did better than previous professional shows in Chicago making their award more deserving.[7]

National High School Musical Theater Awards

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In 2012, two students, Nathan Kluge and Autumn Sater, both juniors, were invited for the chance to go New York City for the National High School Musical Theater Awards, because of their awarding of the "Most Outstanding Lead Performer" at the Overture's Tommy Awards. This trip included a "week of rehearsals, master classes and private coaching session leading up to the 2012 Jimmy Awards" if they were to win. [8]

Traditions

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Senior Directed Play

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An unusual tradition in high school theater is that of the Senior Directed Play at Oconomowoc High School, where two incoming seniors are selected by the previous two departing senior directors to direct a complete play. The tradition was something that director, Mr. Klubertanz, brought to Oconomowoc High School from Wauwatosa High School where he was the former theater director.[1] The purpose of the annual senior directed play is to give two incoming students who are interested in pursuing a college degree in the arts the chance to experience what they plan on doing with their career. This tradition started in the 2008-2009 school year with the direction of Bridgette Well and Brittany Hoffman and the production of Dark of the Moon.[1] The tradition continued as Hanna Gaffney and Cria Ama directed 40 students in a showing of the vignette based romantic comedy, [Almost, Maine]] in March of 2010.[9] In 2011 the Oconomowoc High School Players incorporated the direction of Aaryanna Gariss and Scott Fillmore for the production of The Importance of Being Earnest. The last performed senior directed play, Rabbit Hole was directed in early March of 2012 by Calum Bedborough and Joseph Tufte.[10] The next senior directed play at Oconomowoc High School is to take place in early March of 2013, directed by Ashley Cook and Jacob Blersch. As of the 22nd of October, 2012, the production title is yet to be released. [11]

International Thespian Society

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The International Thespian Society, a honorary organization, has a troupe at Oconomowoc High School and includes many students from the Oconomowoc High School Players. The goals of the group at Oconomowoc High School is to support academic and theatrical success. This is represented at the time of graduation by a Thespian Scholar Cord.[12]

Oconomowoc's Got Talent

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The Oconomowoc's Got Talent is an annual talent show to help raise funds for the Oconomowoc Public Education Foundation's (OPEF) Performing Arts Center Enhancement fund.[13] Even though Oconomowoc's Got Talent is an OPEF based event much of it is centered around help that the actors in the Oconomowoc High School Players put into the show. The students have helped in multiple ways including modeling for pictures for advertisement[13] as well as acts in the show, tech crew, and hosting the event.[13] The event started off as a non-awarding event but as it grew Oconomowoc's Got Talent started to shape into the tv show that is based off of, America's Got Talent, by adding a $2,600 cash prize as well as other prizes.[14]

Drama's Mama's and Papa's

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The Drama's Mama's and Papa's are a non-profit organization in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin to help finance the goals of students at Oconomowoc High School in the theater department at Oconomowoc High School. The organization's donations to students include, scholarships for fine art camps and lessons.

Oconomowoc Arts Center

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The Oconomowoc Arts Center is the home for the Oconomowoc High School drama department and thus the Oconomowoc High School players. The performance hall is a 12 million dollar upscale art facility holding 750 seats, full size orchestra, 55- foot ceilings and state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting as described by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.[15] To build the arts center a 49.6 million dollar referendum was passed by the people of the city of Oconomowoc, which also included two new middle schools and a gymnasium as well as the Oconomowoc Arts Center.[15]

List of Performances

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Frake, Donna (20 May 2009). "Senior Directed Play Takes on 'Dark of the Moon'". Oconomowoc Focus. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Walker, Laura (11 February 2009). "Oconomowoc Students to Take Act Overseas to Fringe Fest". Milwaukee Journal Sentinal. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  3. ^ Hetzner, Amy (25 July 2009). "Oconomowoc Students to Perform on the Fringe". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  4. ^ a b Frake, Donna (21 May 2012). "Students Give Their Regards to Broadway". Lake Country Reporter. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  5. ^ Frake, Donna (12 May 2010). "OHS Drama is Top- Ranked". Oconomowoc Focus. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  6. ^ Frake, Donna (10 May 2011). "OHS Recognized for Outstanding Work". Oconomowoc Focus. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  7. ^ Frake, Donna (14 December 2011). "OHS Play "Urinetown" Wows Madison Judges". Oconomowoc Focus. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  8. ^ Frake, Donna (21 May 2012). "Students Give Their Regards to Broadway". Lake Country Reporter. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  9. ^ Smaga, Paige (3 March 2010). "They've 'Scene' and Done It All". Oconomowoc Focus. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  10. ^ Frake, Donna (29 February 2012). "Senior-Directed Play Deals with Sadness, Offers Hope". Oconomowoc Focus. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  11. ^ "The OHS Performing Arts Department Proudly Presents the 2012/13 Season" (PDF). Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  12. ^ "Oconomowoc High School Class of 2012". Oconomowoc Focus. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  13. ^ a b c Frake, Donna (26 May 2010). "Cast Announced for Oconomowoc's Got Talent". Oconomowoc Focus. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  14. ^ "Oconomowoc's Got Talent on Saturday". Lake Country Reporter. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  15. ^ a b Williams, Scott (6 December 2008). "'A Christmas Carol' Breaks in New Oconomowoc Arts Center Tonight". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
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