Wild Horse Children’s Theater brings home ‘Excellence in Acting Award’ from Junior Theater Festival West 2025
Wild Horse Children’s Theater’s Junior Theater Festival Performance Troupe awarded top honors at the Junior Theater Festival West in Sacramento.
The event celebrates student-driven musical theater programs from across the globe, and gives young performers the opportunity to learn from Broadway professionals.
Twenty-seven WHCT students from the Carson City, Reno, and Douglas County areas attended the festival to showcase their skills.
Their 15-minute performance featured excerpts from the MTI Broadway Junior musical, Willy Wonka Jr., and earned them multiple accolades including the Freddie G. Award for Excellence in Acting.
WHCT’s Lily McCaskill and Stellan Hamner-Jillson were selected as “All-Stars.” They participated in a workshop and performed at the premiere of Disney’s new musical revue, Dare to Dream. Special Project Video auditioners for a yet-to-be-announced special project in NYC included Madeline Lyons, Brielle Taylor, and Lilly Trotter.
WHCT’s performance was judged by theater professionals including Robert Hindsman, adult programs manager at Alliance Theatre, and Steven Agdeppa, an award-winning theater educator and performer known for American Idiot and Newsies.
“These actors are incredibly bold and skilled at characterization,” said Hindsman. “I wanted to jump to my feet multiple times to celebrate how grounded and honest their interpretations were. WHCT is building fearless young actors ready to tackle the American theater canon.”
“Their ability to portray a variety of characters was superb,” Agdeppa added. “You can feel the strong sense of community and joy they share on stage.”
WHCT Director Carol Scott, who was honored as a Freddie G Fellowship Award recipient in 2023, attended the celebration for Freddie G Fellowship’s 15th year and the induction of its 100th Fellow.
Scott also helped facilitate the Teacher Connect Workshop which provided professional development for educators attending JTF West.
The festival included a celebration of Disney and Broadway Junior’s 20-year partnership. WHCT students had the opportunity to attend the world premiere of Dare to Dream, a brand-new Junior musical revue featuring music from nearly 100 years of Disney films, including songs making their stage debut.
Students also participated in workshops such as music, dance, acting, and technical theater with top Broadway professionals. These included John Clay III from New York, New York, Rob Rokicki from The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Daniel Mertzlufft from Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, and Deborah Wicks La Puma from She Persisted: The Musical.
The festival also welcomed cast and creative team members from the upcoming Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: The Musical, including Trae Adair, McKenna Michael Bisaha, and Max Antonio Gonzalez.
JTF West 2025 brought together 54 theater groups from 16 states and five countries, including Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, and China.
For more information about Wild Horse Children’s Theater and upcoming productions, visit their website at www.wildhorsetheater.com.
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