Vestavia students part of theatre team was awarded at festival

A talented team of 16 high school age performers from the Red Mountain Theatre Education programs took top honors at the Junior Theatre Festival (JTF) in Atlanta Jan. 12-14. It was the first win of this top award for RMT teams in their seven years of participating. Among the group were Vestavia students Ally Bryant and London Pigott.

The Junior Theatre Festival is an annual weekend event where musical theatre groups from all over the U.S. meet to perform, mingle, and take workshops that will advance their abilities. Each troupe performs fifteen minutes from a “Broadway Junior” show for adjudication by a panel of musical theatre experts. 

Speaking before the event, Bradford H. Forehand, RMT’s Abroms Director of Youth Performance said it’s an event they look forward to every year. “JTF is a way for our students to engage with likeminded teens from across the country. It's a chance to make friends, see what your peers are doing, and just be a theater kid for a while. Not only does the energy take over the weekend, but it lasts a long time afterwards as our students come back bubbling over with new ideas."

The RMT performance of The Drowsy Chaperone, Jr. was judged as one of nine Outstanding Performance Awards out of 120 participating teams. Judges commended the team for their confidence, comedic timing, and dynamic ensemble work. “Every single one of you has the potential to be the biggest star in the world,” said one of the adjudicators. The troupe then performed for the collective audience of 6,500 on Sunday, Jan. 14. 

“I’m so excited,” said Forehand. “This is what we were able to accomplish with only about two weeks of rehearsal time, squeezed in to their other rehearsals and obligations. It’s a huge honor, and kudos to all of them for all their hard work.”

--Submitted by Terri Osborne