Shorewood Actress Impresses at National Competition

Shorewood senior Martha Hellermann stood out as one of the top thespians in the country at a competition earlier this month.

Among 62 of the nation's most talented high school thespians, Hellermann was named one of seven finalists at the National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City. 

The two winners – from California and Connecticut – received $10,000. As a finalist, Hellermann received a $2,500 scholarship and the opportunity to sing her solo at the Minskoff Theater in Times Square. 

Being called up as one of the top four performers among the young women from across the country was quite a surprise to Hellermann.

“When they called my name I turned to the girl next to me and asked, ‘Did they just call my name? Did that just happen?’” she said. “I was completely in shock.”

Her all-expense paid trip to New York City consisted of five days of workshops at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

“It was a lot of hard work, a lot of long hours,” said Hellermann. “The instructors wanted us to do well, so they pushed us pretty hard. When it’s happening, you’re overwhelmed and you don’t know how to feel about it, but afterward you realize what an experience it was. It was humbling to be surrounded by so many talented people and so many genuinely nice people.”

Hellermann qualified for the national competition after winning the female lead competition on the state level. She qualified for the state contest after representatives from the Tommy Awards named her the Best Lead in a Musical for her performance in “Spring Awakening.”