Homestead High School's theater department was selected to represent Wisconsin at the International Thespian Festival this summer. The school was chosen at a state competition in November and is one of only two schools in Wisconsin selected for the festival's one-act select portion.
The cast of 11 students is performing a shortened version of William Shakespeare's "The Tempest."
WATCH: Homestead High School theater group chosen to represent Wisconsin at international festival this summer
Theater director Amelia Figg-Franzoi said the production features a unique twist on the classic play.
"I have a cast of 11 kids, but 10 of them were girls and one of them was a boy. Tempest, if you know it, everyone is actually male and there is one female actor. And so what I decided to do was gender reverse it, so the women are the ones who are in charge."
Franzoi said the gender-reversed casting reshapes the story's power dynamics.
"The queens and the dukes and everything, and then the one — our one gentleman is actually the son of the magician."
The festival is scheduled for June. Franzoi said the students were surprised by the recognition.
"They're very excited, shocked, right? It wasn't something that they thought would ever happen, and so they're very excited to fundraise to try to get to that festival in June."
The students are fundraising independently to cover the cost of attending. Here is a link to the fundraiser.
Homestead High School choir to perform district-wide concert Thursday
Students from grades 6 through 12 in the Mequon-Thiensville School District will share the stage this week for a joint choral concert.
The concert is scheduled for Thursday and will bring together every grade level that participates in choir across the district. It is the one time each year all grades perform together.
Choir director Paul Oestreich said the event is designed to highlight both individual groups and the ensemble as a whole.
"This is our one time of the year where we get to bring all of the grades that do choir, which in Mequon is 6-12, together for a joint concert."
Oestreich said audiences can expect a wide range of music.
"A little bit of everything. We try to do a wide variety of music and we also try to let each group, each different grade level, showcase what they can do and then also do stuff all together."
The Homestead choir program includes 3 curricular choirs, ranging from incoming freshmen to advanced juniors and seniors. The program performs a concert each trimester and also participates in retreats and trips throughout the year. The department recently wrapped up a production of "Frozen."
Oestreich said programs like this serve students in ways that go beyond music.
"I mean, as a music teacher, I can't say enough about how important these programs are both for the kids academically with what the brain does for music, but also, socially and preparing them for doing collaborative teamwork when they grow older."
Students also have auditions for the spring show scheduled later this week, alongside ongoing rehearsals for Thursday's concert.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
