The Dubuque Senior Theatre Department had a successful showing at the 2024/2025 International Thespian Excellence Awards (or Thespys® for short).
The national qualifier event was held at the Iowa Thespian Festival on Friday, November 14 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA. The International Thespian Excellence Awards program is designed to provide feedback for Thespians on theatrical performances and technical presentations. Students are adjudicated by theatre educators and professionals on rubrics that reflect national standards in theatre education.
Dubuque Senior brought home nine Superior ratings in the competition in a variety of performance events. In addition, students earned eight overall Excellent and one overall Good rating for their performances.
Students that earned overall Superior ratings qualified for the national event held at the University of Indiana in June, 2025, as part of the International Thespian Festival. The following students earned Superior ratings and have qualified:
SUPERIOR RATINGS – QUALIFIED FOR NATIONALS
Solo Musical Theatre
- Kelsey Ahlers | “Losing My Mind”
- Riley Beck | “Out There”
- Ami Bellings | “With You”
- Liam Dostal | “Giants in the Sky”
- Avery Kane | “Not a Day Goes By”
- Bella VandenBerge | “I Can’t Say No”
Duet Musical Theatre
- Riley Beck + Ami Bellings | “Love is My Legs”
Group Acting
- Riley Beck + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton | “The Complete Word”
Group Musical Theatre
- Kelsey Ahlers + Riley Beck + Ami Bellings + Julien Derks + Peyton Dixon + Liam Dostal + Avery Kane + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton + Bella VandenBerge | “When You’re An Addams”
The following performances were also selected by adjudicators as the best in their performance centers for the competition:
FIRST PLACE
Solo Musical Theatre
- Ami Bellings | “With You”
Group Acting
- Riley Beck + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton | “The Complete Word”
Group Musical Theatre
- Kelsey Ahlers + Riley Beck + Ami Bellings + Julien Derks + Peyton Dixon + Liam Dostal + Avery Kane + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton + Bella VandenBerge | “When You’re An Addams”
SECOND PLACE
Solo Musical Theatre
- Riley Beck | “Out There”
- Avery Kane | “Not a Day Goes By”
Lighting Design
- Wyatt Branscomb | “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”
Duet Musical Theatre
- Riley Beck + Ami Bellings | “Love is My Legs”
THIRD PLACE
Solo Musical Theatre
- Liam Dostal | “Giants in the Sky”
The following students earned an overall Excellent or Good Rating for their performance:
EXCELLENT RATING
Solo Musical Theatre
- Cheyenne Brown | “Don’t Rain On My Parade”
- Olivia Gennings | “She Used To Be Mine”
- Reid Postma | “Where is the Life”
Solo Musical Dance
- Ella Meyer | “I Want to Be a Rockette”
Lighting Design
- Wyatt Branscomb | “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”
Duet Musical Theatre
- Seattle Bontemps + Morgan Weiland | “The End of the Line”
- Olivia Gennings + Blair Kapp | “Suddenly Seymour”
Group Musical Theatre
- Seattle Bontemps + Kate Putnam + Morgan Weiland | “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now”
GOOD RATING
Solo Musical Theatre
- Ella Meyer | “She Used to Be Mine”
Furthermore, Dubuque Senior High School’s production of Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists has been selected to perform at the 2025 International Thespian Festival. The selection is based on adjudication from theatre professionals from across the country. The performance of The Revolutionists at the 2024 Iowa Thespian Festival in November was reviewed by the national adjudicators and was selected to be one of just eight main stage performances at the International Thespian Festival.
CRITIC’S CHOICE AWARD (IHSSA All-State Festival) & SUPERIOR RATING (Iowa Thespian Festival)
One Act Play
- Ami Bellings + Peyton Dixon + Avery Kane + Bella VandenBerge | “The Revolutionists”
Dubuque Senior’s production of The Revolutionists featured four remarkable actresses as historical characters at the height of the Reign of Terror in France. The cast includes seniors Ami Bellings (Charlotte Corday) and Bella VandenBerge (Olympe du Gouges), and juniors Peyton Dixon (Marianne Angelles) and Avery Kane (Marie Antoinette). Adjudicators noted the Dubuque Senior actresses for their performances which were “captivating to watch” and for their “emotional depth.”
The production also featured music performed by Anna Garrett-Douillet on the harp. Adjudicators commented on Anna’s powerful performance and musical talent.
The ensemble of The Revolutionists included Kelsey Ahlers, Seattle Bontemps, Joslyn Brown, Olivia Gennings, Norah Homb, Iris Lammer-Heindel, Camilla Moeller, Jameson Norton, Josie Norton, Madeline Oney, and Izzibelle Pregler, as well as a special appearance by Grace Weber. The creative team included Aaron Dean (Director), Katie Galliart (Music Director), and Megan Schumacher (Scenic Art). The design team included more than twenty Dubuque Senior students working on costumes, lights, sound, props, and more. Adjudicators commended the student designers for the strong supporting role the technical elements played in the production.
Dubuque Senior’s performance at the International Thespian Festival will be June 25, 2025 at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana. More than 3,000 students from across the country and abroad will gather for a week of main stage and studio performances, workshops with theatre professionals, and national competitions.
Congratulations to all our students on their achievements!
