Upper School Performing Arts at Shorecrest

Shorecrest Performing Arts has grown over the past 20 years from a small group of students performing in a gymnasium to one of the most renowned high school performing arts programs in Florida. The performing arts department at Shorecrest welcomes students of all experience levels.

Theatre, Dance and Musical Theatre

Shorecrest's Thespian Troupe 3140 has garnered many top honors at both the District and State levels, including presenting one-acts and mainstage productions at the Florida State Thespian Festival in 2014 and 2015. The focus and love for performing arts is nurtured starting in Middle School through drama class, chorus class, band lessons, Jr. Thespian competitions and an annual musical production. Upper School students typically put on a fall play and spring musical production each year for the community, in addition to Thespian competition acts.

2021 National YoungArts Foundation Award winner and Presidential Scholar Nomination - Evan Hoefer ‘21

2021 Florida State Thespians Accolades

Top Honors - Monologue
10 Superiors
2 Excellents

2020 Broadway Star of the Future Awards

Best Outstanding Actor in a Play + Scholarship - Eric Jacobson ‘21
Best Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play + Scholarship - Evan Hoefer ‘21
Best Outstanding Actress in a Play nomination, Top 5 Senior Girl - Shannon Wright ‘20

2020 Musical Performance of "Evita" and Florida State Thespians Festival canceled due to COVID-19.

2019 Broadway Star of the Future Awards

Outstanding Musical - "Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella"
Outstanding Actress - Senna Prasatthong-osoth '19
Outstanding Supporting Performer - Jordan Tralins '19
Outstanding Direction - Bill Leavengood '78 & Cheryl Lee
Outstanding Musical Direction - Michael McCarthy
Outstanding Choreographer - Cheryl Lee
Outstanding Actor nomination - Dominic Hoefer '19

2019 Florida State Thespians Accolades

Top Honors - Ensemble Acting
6 Superior Awards
Excellent - One-Act "Puss in Boots the Musical, a Grimm Brothers Production"
Excellent - Large Group Musical

2018 Florida State Thespians Accolades

4 Straight Superiors
Excellent - Large Group Musical
Excellent - Monologue

2017 Florida State Thespians Accolades

3 Superiors
3 Excellents

2016 Florida State Thespians Accolades

3 Straight Superiors
Superior - Large Group Musical
Superior, Critic's Choice Runner Up - Playwriting

2014/2015 Florida State Thespians Accolades

Jimmy Award Nominee for Best Actress in the State of Florida (National High School Musical Theatre Awards)
Two State Critics' Choice Awards in Playwriting, both also selected for the Young Dramatists' Project
6 Critics' Choice Honorable Mentions
4 Superior Awards
State Selection for One-Act Performance ("Spacehunter")
State Selection for Mainstage Musical Performance ("Anything Goes")
District Representative performance in State Opening Ceremony

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The 600+ seat, state-of-the-art Janet Root Theatre opened its doors in 2002. With a stage size comparable to professional theaters, fantastic acoustics, real dressing rooms, good sightlines and a black box rehearsal theatre on the side, this space becomes a home away from home for many of our performing students.

A Capella

Treblecrest, Shorecrest’s new a capella ensemble, made its debut at the 2015 Valentine's Day assembly. The group explores a wide range of material from this increasingly popular style of vocal performance. Members of Treblecrest are selected from the Advanced Musical Theatre classes and rehearse during class time.

- Treblecrest performing at the 2017 Fall Arts Showcase

Did you know?

Shorecrest alumnus Patrick Wilson '91 received a Tony nomination in both 2001 and 2002 for his Broadway performances. He also starred on screen in "The Alamo", "Phantom of the Opera", "Insidious", and received Emmy and Golden Globe award nominations in 2003 for his acting in "Angels in America." Watch Patrick's recent Shorecrest Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award acceptance.
Shorecrest alumna Monica Raymund '04 won the 2013 Imagen Award for Best Actress in Television. You may have seen her on TV starring in "Lie To Me" or "Chicago Fire".
Students from the Shorecrest Playwriting Class have had their works produced and performed in theaters off-Broadway - in Los Angeles, California, and in Telluride, Colorado - as well as in Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Competing with hundreds of high school and college talent throughout the country, Shorecrest musical theatre students are consistently selected to train with some of the most renowned artists of this era at Ann Reinking's Broadway Theatre Project.
Shorecrest theatre, musical theatre, playwriting and dance students have won "Superior" and "Critics' Choice" ratings at District, State and International Thespian Competitions.
Shorecrest was the first independent school in the Tampa Bay area to offer a course in Videography/TV Production. Students have won many awards for their programing.
Alumnus William Leavengood '78 is a two-time Eugene O'Neill Award winning playwright. He has several off-Broadway plays to his credit, including "Florida Crackers."
Long time Shorecrest Choreographer Cheryl Lee trained with members of the Royal Ballet, the New York City Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet. She has won numerous regional and national awards for her choreography of tap, lyrical, jazz and musical theater productions.
The Shorecrest Concert Band has been invited to play at a presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.
During the past twenty-five years, the Shorecrest Cultural Enrichment Program has brought hundreds of national and international artists to perform and hold workshops on campus.

Sweeney Todd

Arts Events

May

24

Fifth Grade Performance
5/24/2022 1:00 PM to 5/24/2022 2:00 PM
Location: Janet Root Theatre
May

25

Fifth Grade Performance
5/25/2022 1:00 PM to 5/25/2022 2:00 PM
Location: Janet Root Theatre

Upper School Performing Arts Faculty

List of 5 members.

W. Scott Warfel

US Musical Theater Instructor
Bradley Miller

Co-Chair of US Performing Arts, Theatre Manager

727-456-7537

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Bradley Miller joined Shorecrest in the summer of 2014 as the Theatre Manager of the Janet Root Theatre. Formerly a Project Manager and Designer for construction companies within the Theme Parks in Orlando, Mr. Miller has been active in concert production and corporate theatre and is still an active designer for art installations, architectural lighting, theme park attractions, and theatre productions around the world. Mr. Miller has vast experience in teaching professional workshops and certifications in design and technology, in addition to high school theatre, stagecraft, and technology.
Stacie Steinke

US Music/Vocal Instructor

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Stacie Steinke is a vocal professional who has worked with groups and individuals as a teacher, coach, director, performer and business owner for the past 30 years. She trains area singers of all ages at Body Breath and Soul Vocal Studio, and has been the musical director for Saint Petersburg High School productions since 2018. Her musical direction work includes: "Legally Blonde," "Addams Family," "Sister Act," "Little Women," "The Wizard of Oz," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," and more. As Vocal Music Instructor at Shorecrest, Stacie develops individual and group performance and musicianship skills of students in the Musical Theatre program. She prepares them for festivals, and in-school performances. Stacie also sponsors Treblecrest, the a cappella club, overseeing their rehearsals and performances on and off campus. While at the Madeira School in McLean, VA, Stacie was Chair of the Arts Department and Director of Choral Music. Stacie also wrote and produced numerous musical reviews which were enjoyed by thousands at private and civic events through her companies Festive Singers in Chicago and Make-A-Scene Music in Washington, DC, and directed numerous church ensembles. Stacie has performed in both musical theater and classical genres. In the classical music world, Stacie has performed as a soloist alongside vocalists from the Washington Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and award-winning Mexican Tenor Mauro Calderon while living in Mexico City. Stacie earned her Bachelor of Arts at Mount Holyoke College, a Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy at Catholic University of America, and Certificate in Contemporary Commercial Music at Shenandoah University. She is a member of National Association of Teachers of Singing, Tampa Bay Chapter.
Ethan Updike

Co-Chair of US Performing Arts, Band Director

727-522-2111 x641

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Ethan Updike became the Upper School’s lead music teacher and Band Director in 2015. He teaches Upper School music classes, instrumental music lessons to Middle and Upper School students, and directs the Concert Band and related music ensembles. Mr. Updike is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, and holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Education from Oberlin Conservatory, where he specialized in trumpet performance. He can play most instruments. Mr. Updike's favorite part of the year is seeing all of the students' hard work come together during the Winter Concert and Spring Concert. Outside of school, Mr. Updike enjoys leading an active lifestyle by exploring local restaurants around town, traveling, and practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Michael McCarthy

Guest Musical Director, Upper School