SIERRA’S SENTIMENTS

November has been such a fun month at STARS! We are in the midst of rehearsals for The Wolves (opening in January). The cast has had SO much fun the last few weeks between some soccer conditioning and their promo photo shoot. The show is in great shape and we’re all so excited for audiences to enjoy this meaningful and moving piece! Hadestown auditions are on Friday, meaning in just a few days, we’ll officially be working on two mainstage shows at once (for the very first time). There are only a few audition spots left, and we’d love to see you at auditions! Since last month, we’ve also launched our 2026 Rising STARS registration (The Jungle Book: Kids starts in January and meets on Friday evenings!) and our Winter Masterclass Advanced Acting series for high school and college students, taught by the amazing Julien DaSilva. Behind the scenes, the STARS Board and Staff have been busy season planning! We’re excited to be able to announce the titles for our summer camp shows and our Senior STARS show very soon, and ALL of Season 3 of STARS shortly after! Wishing you and yours a lovely Thanksgiving, and we hope to see you all soon, whether in a show, class, or audience in the coming months.

new merch alert!

Just in time for the holiday season, new merch is here! Check out the STARS store!

giving to stars

This holiday season, we know that there are many organizations and causes close to your heart that may be asking for a donation from you. There’s a lot that we could say to highlight why we’d love for you to include STARS in your giving plans. Instead, we’d like to share a parent perspective from Carrie Wendell about what a donation can do for students.

How long has your family been involved with stars?

Our daughter became a part of the STARS family in 2024 when she was cast in Twelfth Night, but we were fans and audience members prior to then.

As a parent, what has been your favorite stars memory?

All of the STARS shows we've seen have been incredible, but I think Spring Awakening has to be one of the best productions I've ever seen on any stage.

What impact has STARS had on your child?

As a parent, I can’t say enough about what STARS has meant to my daughter. The directors nurture confidence, collaboration, and creativity. STARS is a place where every participant (from auditions to strike) feels seen, supported, and encouraged to grow, both on stage and off. Sierra's and Jack's encouragement and belief in each performer create such a positive, welcoming environment. And the talent is truly unmatched! I’m so grateful for this STARS community and proud to support a program that truly changes lives.

There are a lot of organizations that ask for donations around this time. What do you think sets STARS apart?

Our family proudly supports STARS because of the remarkable impact it has had on our daughter. STARS Performing Arts is a gift to our community.

stars performing arts company is a 501c3 nonprofit! To make a donation, click here!

thank you and happy holidays!

senior spotlight

What are your plans for the future?

“I have decided to go the route of pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre for my time in college. While this process has been incredibly long and meticulous, I know that it will all be worth it in the end once I get to do what I love every day. What I didn't expect to gain from the college audition process however was the ability to handle rejection. Whenever I get unfortunate news, I let it hurt for about a day and then force myself to move on from it. I have to remind myself that everyone has their own opinions and there are so many extraneous factors that I can't control. What I can control, though, is my outlook on this process and how I choose to deal with it. My biggest requirement for myself as I started this journey was to make sure that I never lost sight of the reason I was doing it.”

What is your favorite STARS memory?

“My favorite STARS memory would have to be auditioning for Spelling Bee. Going into the audition, I didn't know a single person. I just showed up as authentically myself as I could and had as much fun as possible in the audition room. When the cast list came out and I got Barfee, at first I thought it was really funny. Ironically, Magic Foot was the only song on the cast album that I would constantly skip. I remember going into the first read through however and falling in love with the character. I knew I was going to have a blast from that day forward and was excited to get to work on a dream show of mine. The whole process was easily one of the best I have ever done and the people I met during it are people that are still huge parts of my life today.”

What advice would you give to someone auditioning for a STARS show?

“Just do it! STARS is easily the most professional company I have ever worked with and I love every person involved in it. I know that no matter who the artistic team is, the show will always be amazing and the process will be very organized. I also think auditioning for a STARS show means so much more than simply doing a singular role. When I auditioned for Spelling Bee, I had no idea that I would then be in Spring Awakening, choreographing for 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book, and being a counselor for Beetlejuice. That is one of the aspects that makes STARS so unbelievably special, it truly is a community. Once you are in, it's hard to leave because all the people are professional, loving, and actually care about what they do.”

Tickets for The Wolves are on sale now!

January 16th and 17th at the Great Grange Falls

“Left quad. Right quad. Lunge. A girls indoor soccer team warms up. From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, the team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with all the vim and vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors. A portrait of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls who just want to score some goals.”