Kenosha Reporter

Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) announced that its theater program's cast and crew received several recognitions in the 2025 Jerry Awards.

According to KUSD, several student theater productions were recognized in the 2025 Jerry Awards, a statewide program that honors excellence in high school musical theater. The initiative, named after philanthropist W. Jerome Frautschi, included over 500 awards presented to participants from 116 productions across 31 Wisconsin counties. Bradford High School’s production of *Six* earned awards for lead performance and spirit. Indian Trail High School’s production of *Side by Side by Sondheim* was named Outstanding Musical and received multiple honors for individual performances and production roles.

Indian Trail’s *The Prince of Egypt* was also named Outstanding Musical and recognized for several individual achievements in acting, direction, and technical areas. Participants from Bradford, Indian Trail, and LakeView were honored across categories including lead and supporting performances, choreography, lighting, costume, and sound design. The Jerry Awards, launched in the 2009–10 school year and now supported by statewide partnerships, involve evaluations by educators and professionals who provide feedback to student performers and crews.

Tim Sauers, CO-CEO and Chief Artistic Experiences Officer, said he continues to be impressed at the high quality of high school musical theater programs across the state. "I applaud them all for their dedication and commitment to ensuring that students have access to musical theater and the opportunity to excel," Sauers said.

KUSD's theater arts education begins in elementary school with musical and operatic productions and continues through middle and high school with curricular and extracurricular performances. The 2024-25 KUSD Theater program has assigned roles to all auditioning students; cast lists should be checked carefully. Those interested in stage management or crew positions can still apply. Additional auditions for non-musical plays will occur throughout the school year.