About PHS Theatre 

payson high school THEATRE DEPARTMENT

ACCOLADES & COMPETITIONS

Payson High School Theatre Department participates in multiple region, state, and international competitions.  All conferences, festivals, and competitions are beneficial events offering students a chance to build their theatre portfolios.  Academic and social skills are emphasized offering students additional scholarships and future employment opportunities.  

​

2021 5A Region Competition

1st Place Humorous Monologue: Christian Durrant

2nd Place Musical Theatre: Aeva McLauchlin

2nd Place One-Act: Freaky Friday

3rd Place Pantomime: Emmalee Higginson & Jordan Hall

3rd Place Overall

​

2019 SUU Shakespeare Competition: Oxford Division

1st Place Monologue: Hannah Bibler

4th Place Ensemble Scene: Shakespeare's Murderesses in Cell Block Tango

5th Place Monologue: Aeva McLauchlin

9th Place overall

​

2019 International Thespian Festival

PHS represented the state of Utah at the International Thespian Festival with their one-act play Women & Wallace.  Performing to a sold out audience and receiving a standing ovation was a gratifying ending for all the students' hard work!  Students also competed in musical theatre and monologue events with William Wood receiving a straight superior medal.

​

2019 UT 4A State Competition

1st Place Musical Theatre: Natalie Edwards

1st Place Classical Scenes: Hannah Bibler & Mikaeli Ringle

2nd Place Dramatic Monologue: Kaitlyn Sharp

​

2019 Region Competition

1st Place Dramatic Monologue: Kaitlyn Sharp

2nd Place Pantomime: Stephen Johnson

4th Place Overall

​

2019 Utah Theatre Association

Awarded Scholarship for Technical Theatre: Clara Beddoes

​

2018 SUU Shakespeare Competition

1st Place Tech Olympics Lights: River Sprague

1st Place Choral Small Group Division

4th Place Tie in the Oxford Division Overall

​

​

​

ROCK WHITE 

THEATRE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & EDUCATOR

Rock White has been teaching theatre for over 20 years. Rock has a bachelor's degree from Weber State University in Musical Theatre Composite and a professional teaching license in Theatre, Speech, and English. He obtained his Master's Degree in Education from Southern Utah University. Besides teaching, he also loves performing professionally when he can. As a member of the Professional Actors Union: Equity, he has performed with Salt Lake Acting Company, Grande Theatre, and Utah Musical Theatre.  His favorite roles include Smudge in Forever Plaid, Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, The Wolf in Into the Woods, and Leonard in Pirated!. He’s recorded professionally an album with Janeen Brady and most recently on a Kenneth Copeland album: Son of Man.