Bemidji High Students Receive State Spotlight Honors for Addams Family

Bemidji High School’s fall musical has drawn regional attention and formal recognition. Evaluators from the Spotlight Education program attended multiple performances of The Addams Family in November and awarded Outstanding Individual Honors to five students for performance, vocal work, character development and technical leadership.

Students singled out for recognition include Sophia Hordichok in the role of Wednesday Addams, Benjamin Schoneck as Gomez Addams, Annika Selberg as Alice Beineke, Isabel Neal as Morticia Addams and Brionna Zierden for technical leadership and stagehand work. Evaluators praised the cast’s musicality and student professionalism, and the honorees will be formally recognized at the Spotlight Showcase at the State Theatre in Minneapolis in the spring. Selected students from the program will take part in workshops and public performances during the showcase.

The awards reinforce the visibility of Bemidji School District arts programs at a time when school budgets and local levies are frequent topics of community debate. Recognition from a statewide theatre program can strengthen school leaders’ cases when discussing resource allocation with the school board and with voters, because it demonstrates measurable student achievement beyond the classroom. For students, regional honors and participation in Showcase workshops provide additional training, networking and resume building that can matter for post secondary applications and arts careers.

For local audiences the recognition affirms the value of attending and supporting school productions. Community engagement through ticket sales, volunteer crew work and attendance at school board meetings all factor into the sustainability of extracurricular programs. The awards also spotlight opportunities for cross sector partnerships between schools and regional arts organizations, which can expand skill building for students in both performance and technical theatre fields.

The Spotlight honors cap a successful November run for Bemidji High School and set a visible example of student accomplishment that local leaders, parents and voters can weigh as they consider future investments in school arts programming.