05/06/2026
North Scott High School’s Lancer Productions is proud to celebrate and announce their 2026 Iowa High School Musical Theater Award honors for their spring production of The Addams Family, directed and choreographed by Ashley Becher, with vocal direction by Bobby Becher, technical direction by Josh Tipsword, and produced by Stacie Kintigh and Emily Hintze.
Lancer Productions will participate in the 2026 Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards Showcase, presented by EMC Insurance Companies, in honor of the school's achievements for its April production of The Addams Family.
Lancer Productions will be honored in a special video shown at the Showcase, in celebration of its receipt of an Outstanding Overall Performance Award - one of the program's highest honors. North Scott is one of 15 schools of the 100+ schools to achieve this honor for the 2025-2026 Season.
Jack McCarthy and Taylar Vondal will represent Lancer Productions by performing in a collaborative Opening medley led by a guest Broadway music director and choreographer.
Isabella Suarez will perform an excerpt from her award-winning role in The Addams Family as Pugsley.
Grady Kirst, Charlotte Madden, Natalie Sierk, Brayden Serrano, and Isabella Suarez will participate in the Triple Threat Award program with other advanced performing students. In addition to a special performance at the showcase, students will audition for theater camp scholarships and the opportunity to represent Iowa at the Jimmy Awards, or National High School Musical Theatre Awards, in New York City this summer.
Riley Johnson, Hannah Nelson, Kallen Rohlf, Eva Wyatt, Alliana Ray, Addyson Yanke, and Charli Conner will showcase their award-winning work as part of the program's Behind-The-Scenes Awards track.
Mya Kelsey has been selected to serve as a student Assistant Stage Manager for the showcase through a competitive process. She will work alongside the professional team to run rehearsals, call cues, and more to execute the statewide event.
Long time NS Drama Booster and theatre supporter, Mary Beth Madden, will be honored as one of this year’s Impact Award recipients, which honors adults who make a significant impact on students’ school musical experience. Mary Beth was nominated by Charlotte Madden with recommendations from LP students, staff, and fellow Drama Boosters.
Lancer Productions is being recognized for Outstanding Community Engagement. The Community Engagement Award is presented to schools that utilize their production and its themes or message in a meaningful way to make a difference within the community. This year, Lancer Productions worked alongside Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley to bring theatre arts to more students, including scholarships to the LP’s summer theatre camp.
Mya Kelsey has also been selected as a Technical Theater Scholarship Recipient for her outstanding work in Stage Management. Recipients will receive a $2,500 scholarship to support their future studies and be recognized during the Awards Showcase.
Lancer Productions will also be recognized with the following awards and honors:
Production Awards
⭐️Outstanding Musical Production
⭐️Outstanding Ensemble
⭐️Outstanding Community Engagement
Student Awards
⭐️Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role – Brayden Serrano as Gomez Addams
⭐️Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role – Grady Kirst as Uncle Fester
⭐️Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role - Isabella Suarez as Pugsley Addams
⭐️Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role - Charlotte Madden as Morticia Addams
⭐️Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role – Natalie Sierk as Wednesday Addams
⭐️Outstanding Achievement in a Behind-the-Scenes Role – Riley Johnson, Kaitlyn Knepper, Isabella Suarez, Mason Smeltzer, and Addyson Yanke for Marketing and PR
⭐️Outstanding Achievement in a Behind-the-Scenes Role – Hannah Nelson and Kallen Rohlf for Lighting Design
⭐️Outstanding Achievement in a Behind-the-Scenes Role – Eva Wyatt, Charli Conner, and Emma Reif for Hair, Makeup and Costumes
⭐️Outstanding Achievement in a Behind-the-Scenes Role – Madilyn Brus and Alliana Ray for Stage Management
⭐️Special Recognition in a Principal Role - Jackson McCarthy as Lucas Beineke
⭐️Special Recognition in a Principal Role – Taylar Vondal as Alice Beineke
⭐️Special Recognition in a Principal Role – Alexander Simmons as Lurch
⭐️Special Recognition in a Principal Role – Emily Sutting as Grandma
⭐️Special Recognition in a Behind-the-Scenes Role - Mya Kelsey for Front of House Management
⭐️Triple Threat Nominees: Grady Kirst, Charlotte Madden, Natalie Sierk, Brayden Serrano, and Isabella Suarez
⭐️Technical Theater Scholarship Finalist - Mya Kelsey, Stage Management
⭐️IHSMTA Showcase Assistant Stage Manager - Mya Kelsey
Tickets to the Showcase, which start at $15, will go on sale on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 10 AM at DMPA.org, the Des Moines Civic Center Ticket Office, and by phone at 515-246-2300. The Awards Showcase will be live-streamed at IowaPBS.org as part of a collaboration with Iowa PBS. Iowa PBS will also broadcast a highlights special of the event later this summer on dates to be announced.
We thank the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards for their service to Theatre Education in Iowa!
