On May 1 this year, most of those who participated in the OHS Theater Company’s rendition of “The Addams Family the Musical” gathered in the drama center to witness the shortened announcements of the Saint Louis Musical High School Theater Awards. Though they found out that as a troupe they didn’t win anything, one individual, Ian Moore (12), won a Special Recognition from SLMHSTA.
“I feel like I worked really hard on my role— and I’m very proud of how it turned out. I’m glad I got recognised for it,” Moore said.
In achieving this award there were some difficulties faced.
“It was really tricky at times, I guess,” Moore said. “What I mean is that not talking on stage [as Lurch] and still being funny through movement was very challenging, but was a lot of fun.”
Receiving this kind of recognition in the theater community is quite prestigious and is only reserved for the few.
“Considering that 52 schools participated in the Saint Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards, and thousands of students performed across St. Louis in a variety of productions, the fact that Ian stood out amongst the rest, especially in such a small role, is incredible,” Isabelle Zurcher, OHS Theater Director, said.
Not only did Moore win awards within the larger community, his talent is also being recognized within the OHS theater troupe.
“Ian’s acting ability, especially his physicality and comedic timing, are phenomenal,” Zurcher said. “The fact that he was able to communicate so clearly and creatively within a character that never speaks is truly a testament to how talented he is. The adjudicators also mentioned how strong his musical performance was within the final song of the show, and I wholeheartedly agree that his singing put him a level above the rest.”
The theme of support is carried throughout this entire event.
“I think it’s really cool that I get to represent our school in such a big event,” Moore said. “It was really fun during it all”
The SLHSMTA program has a broad reach and perspective that changes every year.
“It’s exciting to get nominated for overall production elements, but I really appreciate how good SLHSMTA is at ‘spreading the wealth’ amongst different schools,” Zurcher said. “We had our moment last year, and this year there were other schools that got to have that exciting experience and recognition for their programs. We are proud of our production of ‘The Addams Family,’ and we are excited for next year’s opportunities!”
