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Hays Arts Council

Now in its 26th year, Hays Arts Council FAMOUS FIGURES is a living history and performance project open to 5th grade students in Ellis County public & private schools.  It involves a short performance as a favorite person (living or deceased) from the present through distant past.  The project promotes the use of research skills, awareness and appreciation of the qualities of a positive role model, thinking and writing in a creative manner, and developing acting and public speaking skills.  This year's Famous Figures Final Competition will be held on Friday, May 6 in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center. We are proud to have this annual project supported by the Hays Rotary Club. 


link to 2022 details, rules, judging form & final questions

2021 Famous Figures

2021 Awards - from right to left above

1st Place

Martha Miller (O'Loughlin Elementary) as William Shakespeare

2nd Place

Emma Downing (O'Loughlin Elementary) as Susan B. Anthony

3rd Place (tie)

Alayda Cano (O'Loughlin Elementary) as Malala Yousafzai

Summer Hackworth (O'Loughlin Elementary) as Amelia Earhart


4th Place (tie)

Larryn Braun (Victoria Elementary) as Bethany Hamilton

Jack Stoecklein (Holy Family Elementary) as Erno Rubik

5th Place (tie)

Eli Kerr (Wilson Elementary) as Willis Carrier

Shiloh Gaschler (St. Mary's Grade School) as Howard Carter

With gathering restrictions & COVID-19 protocols in place at FHSU through the end of May, we were not be able to hold our traditional final competition "live" in Beach/Schmidt. However, still wanting to return to a somewhat traditional competition format, we decided to record the classroom finalists (all performances available below), providing for a uniform and fair judging review & process.  


Each of our 5 judges watched and reviewed the videos independently.  They (with their backgrounds) were:  Linda Hohman (drama instructor & playwright), Bruce Bardwell (FHSU technical theatre director, instructor, & actor), Janis Lee (HAC board & Rotary member, former Kansas senator), Mary Ann Thompson (Encore Series committee member, HAC board member & Hays Library Kansas Room director), and Mike Morley (HAC board president, Rotary Club member, Midwest Energy Communications director).


The videos were presented to them with NO information on students or schools - only the individual performances, randomly ordered as you find them here. Their results were returned electronically, after which our traditional scoring & final ranking format was used to determine the 1st through 5th place awards.  And, as has often happened in past years, there were performances whose scores were tied. . . and rather than break ties, we just purchase additional trophies! (thank you Rotary!)

2021 school finalists

Holy Family Elementary (l to r) :  Jack Stoecklein, Emma Wasinger, Khloe Vahling, Thomas Meagher

2021 performance videos

Audrey Hepburn

portrayed by LINDYN JOCHUM

representing Wilson Elementary

Henry Ford

portrayed by TRENT RYAN

representing O'Loughlin Elementary

Marie Curie

portrayed by KAYLEE KOLLMAN

representing Roosevelt Elementary

Elizabeth Hamilton

portrayed by JAYDE BERRY

representing Wilson Elementary

Erno Rubik

as portrayed by JACK STOECKLEIN

representing Holy Family Elementary

Michelle Obama

portrayed by ABRIENNE PRINCE

representing Lincoln Elementary

Maria Tallchief

portrayed by LYLA RODGER

representing Victoria Elementary 

michael jordan

portrayed by AYAHANA GIBSON

representing Roosevelt Elementary

Amelia Earhart

portrayed by SUMMER HACKWORTH

representing O'Loughlin Elementary

Willis Carrier

portrayed by ELI KERR

representing Wilson Elementary

Sonora Webster Carver

portrayed by EMILY ZOLNIERZ

representing O'Loughlin Elementary

susan b anthony

portrayed by EMMA DOWNING

representing O'Loughlin Elementary

Simone Biles

portrayed by MARLEY KOENIGSMAN

representing Roosevelt Elementary

Steve Irwin

portrayed by KADEN VONFELDT

representing Victoria Elementary

taylor swift

portrayed by JESSICA GORACKE

representing Lincoln Elementary

Kamala Harris

portrayed by ELISABETH BERGMAN

representing USD489 2021 Remote Learning

Serena Williams

portrayed by COLLEEN SMITH

representing Lincoln Elementary

Caroline lucretia Herschel

as portrayed by EMMA WASINGER

representing Holy Family Elementary

Pfog Allen

portrayed by MILES WEIMER

representing Wilson Elementary

BESSIE COLEMAN

portrayed by LIBBY SCHIEL

representing Washington Grade School (Ellis)

Robert Hoge

portrayed by COLTAN MADER

representing St. Mary's Gr. Sch. (Ellis)

Lebron James

portrayed by MILES DAY

representing Roosevelt Elementary

Mary Anning

portrayed by HAYLEE COMER

representing Washington Gr. Sch. (Ellis)

bethany hamilton

portrayed by LARRYN BRAUN

representing Victoria Elementary

milton hershey

as portrayed by THOMAS MEAGHER

representing Holy Family Elementary

Wilma Rudolph

portrayed by ADDISON VONLINTEL

representing Victoria Elementary

Stephen Hawking

portrayed by DEXTER SULLIVAN

representing Lincoln Elementary

Rosie the Riveter

as portrayed by KHLOE VAHLING

representing Holy Family Elementary


Malala Yousafzai

portrayed by ALAYDA CANO

representing O'Loughlin Elementary

Ole Kirk Chirstensen

portrayed by BLADYN WERTH

representing Wilson Elementary

anne frank

portrayed by ANA LOPEZ

representing Wilson Elementary

William Shakespeare

portrayed by MARTHA MILLER

representing O'Loughlin Elementary

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

portrayed by LAYLAH PFANNENSTIEL

representing Roosevelt Elementary

Jesus

as portrayed by JAMES DICKMAN

representing Lincoln Elementary

Howard Carter

portrayed by SHILOH GASCHLER

representing St. Mary's Gr. Sch. (Elllis)

levi strauss

portrayed by MADELYN WILKINS

representing Roosevelt Elementary

Thank you!

2016-2019 classroom finalists

2019 Famous Figures

classroom finalists

2018 famous figures classroom finalists



2018  Famous Figures 

classroom finalists 



 


2017  Famous Figures 

classroom finalists 

 


2016  Famous Figures 

classroom finalists

Hays Arts Council

112 East 11th Street - Hays, Kansas 67601

785.625.7522

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