BY MELANIE BUCK –
Mena High School Drama teacher, Jessica Kropp, has been selected to receive a high honor for her hard work and dedication to all things theatre. Kropp will be recognized as Theatre Squared’s 2016 Arts Educator Award Winner at the Gala for Education and Access on Thursday, November 3rd, at 6:00 pm at the Fayetteville Town Center. “We value Ms. Kropp’s talent and passion for the arts and the impact she has made and continues to make on the students in our district,” said MHS administration.
When Kropp learned she would be honored with TheatreSquared’s Arts Educator Award, she said, “I was so encouraged and grateful. It is such a wonderful thing to be recognized for the work that you put your heart and soul and time into each day. TheatreSquared is the Northwest Arkansas’s only year-round professional theatre. It produces thought-provoking and entertaining plays and is an outstanding resource for theatre teachers. They have come the last five years to Mena to do a content specific show (Poe Show, History Show, etc). They have also helped me get grants to get professional theatre artists to come to Mena to teach 1-3 day workshops on playwrighting, improv, and stage combat. They also have reasonably priced theatre teacher professional development in the summer. I have gone to five years of their training, and I have become a much better artist, teacher, and leader because of it, and therefore I am awed that they would choose to honor me.”
Kropp’s most recent project is a production of the increasingly popular Seussical the Musical, a musical based on the antics of The Cat in the Hat. Everyone is invited support the arts and enjoy a performance of Seussical at the MHS PAC on Saturday, Nov. 19th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, Nov. 20th at 2:30 pm.
About Author
Jeri Pearson
Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.
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