Redhawk News
October 27, 2026
The PTHS Players are getting ready to bring She Kills Monsters to the stage, with six performances at Wheeler Theater at Fort Worden beginning Friday, October 30. With the PTHS auditorium unavailable during construction, this year’s production gives students the opportunity to perform in a different space.
Senior Theo Dieckmann, who plays Tilly Evans in the Dragons Cast, describes the show as “very silly and campy,” while also touching on deeper subjects, including disability, LGBTQ experiences, and grief and loss. Theo is especially excited for audiences to experience the show’s 1990s references, adding, “A lot of people are going to have fun with that!”
The production features two casts, the Dungeons Cast and the Dragons Cast, with approximately 30 students involved across the groups. To prepare, students rehearse each scene with one cast and then repeat it with the other. While working with two casts can be challenging, Theo said, “We’re getting by, and I think this will be a really good show.”
Performing at Wheeler Theater has also brought some adjustments. Theo noted that the green room is much smaller than the one at the PTHS auditorium. Working in different spaces has been a challenge, but seeing the production come together has been exciting.
The students have put a tremendous amount of work into preparing for the show. “We’ve worked super hard on this production,” Theo said, “and we really hope everyone likes it and has a lot of fun watching it!”
A special thank you goes to Centrum, which operates Wheeler Theater and has been amazing to work with as the PTHS Players prepare for this year’s performances.
Performance Schedule
All performances will take place at Wheeler Theater at Fort Worden.
Friday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m. — Dungeons Cast
Saturday, October 31 at 2:00 p.m. — Dungeons Cast
Sunday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m. — Dragons Cast
Thursday, November 5 at 7:00 p.m. — Dragons Cast
Friday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m. — Dragons Cast
Saturday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. — Dungeons Cast
Recently, PTHS students took the top three spots and earned five of the seven honors in the annual Jefferson County League of Women Voters Essay Contest. Three seniors earned the top awards: Noah Isenberg earned first place, Zinnia Blatchley received second place, and Kepler Edmundson placed third. Juniors Kestrel Campbell and Kai Anderson also received honorable mentions.
All five students completed their essays in Ms. Virginia Grace’s College in the High School English classes. These are classes on the high school campus where students are able to earn college credit through Central Washington University. The top three essays explored public lands, voting, and education, with each student connecting a topic of importance to the upcoming election.
In his first-place essay, “Protecting What We Share: America’s Public Lands,” Noah began by describing a moment spent admiring the North Cascades from Shannon Ridge. He went on to explore the value of public lands for recreation, local economies, and conservation, and argued for their protection.
Zinnia’s second-place essay, “American Democracy,” opened with a memory of her older sister voting for the first time. She wrote about the importance of voting as a way for people to make their voices heard and discussed the need to make voting accessible to everyone.
In his third-place essay, “The Future of Education,” Kepler considered the impact of education funding on schools, teachers, and students. He highlighted place-based learning, including a trip PTHS AP Environmental Science recently took to Padilla Bay, and encouraged voters to consider education in the upcoming election.
The League reached out to Ms. Grace earlier this fall to encourage students to participate. She saw the contest as “a great opportunity for students to build their college application resumes and use the skills that we practice in class.”
Students spent part of a week working on their essays during class. Ms. Grace provided an outline adapted from the six-part oration, a persuasive writing strategy developed by Cicero. Seniors had the opportunity to revisit the approach, while juniors tried it for the first time. Because the essays were being submitted to a contest, Ms. Grace kept her involvement limited while remaining available for consultation and feedback.
For Ms. Grace, one of the highlights was seeing the range of issues students chose to address and the personal connections they brought to their writing. “I love seeing the variety of issues that are important to my students,” she shared, adding that personal connections and stories are “a source of strength” in persuasive writing.
The students were excited to learn they had received honors. Their recognition also offered an opportunity to share their perspectives with an audience beyond the classroom.
“I always hope to show my students that there is space for their voices in this community,” Ms. Grace said. “People do want to hear what they have to say.” She encourages students to make those voices heard by giving public comment, writing a letter to the editor, or submitting an essay to a contest.
Congratulations to Noah, Zinnia, Kepler, Kestrel, and Kai on their impressive achievements, and thank you to Ms. Grace for providing students with this opportunity to share their writing and perspectives.
With the midterm election just a week away, students at Port Townsend High School are learning about the importance of voting and taking steps toward participating in future elections.
During their junior year, students in Mr. Jolley’s US History class are given the opportunity to pre-register to vote through Washington’s Future Voter Program. The in-class opportunity connects what students are learning about history and civic responsibility to a decision they can make for their own futures.
Through the Future Voter Program, 16- and 17-year-olds who are US citizens and Washington residents can sign up and be automatically registered to vote when they become eligible. Students can also sign up online, by mail, or in person.
For PTHS junior Ember Parsons, one surprise was how straightforward the process can be. “I have had many opportunities to register to vote, but it surprised me to know how easy it is to do,” she said.
Ember shared that having the opportunity is meaningful to her, particularly when she thinks about young women in places where they are unable to vote. “I am very honored to have the opportunity to register to vote,” she said.
Learning about the women’s rights movement has also shaped how Ember thinks about voting. She is grateful to the women who fought for rights that allow her to have a voice today. “They gave me the opportunity to make choices that will continue to influence future generations of women,” she said.
Ember also believes young people’s perspectives matter when decisions are being made about the future. As she prepares to become a voter, she recognizes the importance of learning about political events and the people seeking office so she can make informed choices.
In a classroom reflection on why voting matters, Ember shared a message about the responsibility and opportunity that comes with casting a ballot: “Every vote matters. There is not a single vote that does not. We vote for the benefit of ourselves, as well as voting because it is a privilege.”
About Port Townsend High School
Website: https://highschool.ptschools.org/
Location: 1500 Van Ness Street, Port Townsend, WA, USA
Phone: 360.379.4520
Non-discrimination statement
Port Townsend School District No. 50 does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, immigration status, national origin, age, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The district provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and all other designated youth groups listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator
Carrie Ehrhardt
1610 Blaine Street
(360) 680-5756
Title IX Officer:
Carrie Ehrhardt
1610 Blaine Street
(360) 680-5756
Section 504/ADA Coordinator
Shelby Macmeekin
1610 Blaine Street
(360) 379-4501
Title IX inquiries may also be directed toward the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR):https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html
