Monday’s “One Stage Allen All-County Theatre Day” at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, an inaugural event spearheaded by Iola High School drama instructor Regina Chriestenson, culminated in the signing ceremony for three Iola seniors, Bella Rahming, Taegan Noyes and Callie Sterling.
All three were awarded talent-based scholarships to Allen’s Theatre & Film Department. The scholarships cover tuition and book expenses and require they pass at least 12 credit hours per semester and participate in Allen performances.
Tricia Stogsdill, director of Allen’s theatre and film department, is thrilled about where the program is headed.
“The future is bright,” said Stogsdill. “We have a great group of freshmen returning, and we’re recruiting people who are just as strong.”
Stogsdill highlighted the department’s growth in recent years. “When I came here in 2022, we awarded eight scholarships. It was 15 last year, and we’re giving 25 scholarships to students to join us this fall. Those scholarships have always been available — they just weren’t being filled.”
She’s particularly excited about the three Iola seniors who signed letters of intent Monday. “Callie has an interest in acting, but she’s also an incredible artist,” said Stogsdill. “I’m excited for her to learn more design and production skills with us.”
Rahming and Noyes have equally impressed Stogsdill.
“Both of them have incredible range. The first time I got to see them was in ‘The Importance of Being Earnest.’ They’d mastered the language and got the laughs. Then, several months later, they’re in a musical about birds.”
By bringing in talented students and developing their skills even further, the department has attracted interest, Stogsdill said. “We’ve already had donors interested in contributing to grow our department even more,” she said.
The additional support may soon be necessary. “Given the current space, it’d be hard to accommodate more students,” Stogsdill noted.
It sounds like a great problem to have.
