For its second consecutive year of submitting entries for the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards, Greene County High School has once again been highlighted for several categories.

Vocal Director David Heupel says they were able to earn four honors from their spring musical production of “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim. Those awards went to Gavin Vander Linden for Outstanding Achievement in a Behind-the-Scenes Business Role as Publicity Manager, Ava Schilling as an Outstanding Performance in a Principal Role of “The Witch,” the cast received the Award for Distinguished Scene, “Your Fault,” and Olivia Hoyt and Grace Hardaway were selected to be in the Showcase Finale. 

Heupel describes a special event that Vander Linden gets to do because he was the recipient of the Behind-the-Scenes Business Role Award as the publicity manager for their show.

“He gets to go down to Des Moines on the 22nd and participate in a Behind the Scenes Day. You know, they talk about things like that (promotion and publicity) and on a professional level how they do things like that. He gets to see a little more about behind the scenes about what he did behind the scenes, and he’ll be recognized at the showcase.”  

Heupel points out that Schilling was additionally selected to participate in the Triple Threat Award, where she will get to audition later this month for a chance to go on a trip to New York City. Heupel adds this is the second consecutive year that Schilling is a Triple Threat participant.

“She’s extremely talented and I think she really loves to jump into roles like that. You know last year she was Morisha (from “The Addams Family”) and this year as The Witch (from “Into the Woods”) and she becomes those people. Honestly, her and I both know she doesn’t like to do solos where it’s just her singing a solo. She says, ‘I prefer it when I’m someone else.’ She loves that theater part where she just relishes being able to be in someone else’s skin. I’m not surprised that she’s doing this for a second time.” 

The IHSMTA Showcase takes place on May 30th at the Civic Center in Des Moines. Tickets will go on sale May 17th and the event will be livestreamed from Iowa Public Television.