In theater parlance, Hillcrest High School won the equivalent of two major Tony Awards at the 2025 ceremony to applaud the winners of the Best of State honors.
Hillcrest’s theater department not only was announced as the recipient of the Best of State Award for best theatrical instruction — but also captured, much to the pleasant surprise of the Huskies in attendance, the golden trophy for Best of State overall in the field of education.
The overall honor is chosen out of 49 categories in the “Education” section of the Best of State awards. Hillcrest theater teachers Josh Long and Giselle Gremmert say being chosen for the highest honor came shock — even after winning Best of State for theatrical instruction for the second consecutive year.
“We all just kind of stared at each other,” says Gremmert. “We were in complete shock and the students were just screaming and having the best time. I think we were all just so surprised.”
Immediately after receiving the awards, Gremmert, four Hillcrest seniors, and Hillcrest Principal Brenda McCann jumped on a FaceTime call with Long, who is on a theater trip to New York City, to share the news.
“This is very all encompassing,” Long says, “not just with the kids this year, but it’s two decades of hard work from students who have done different things, and in so many capacities.”
Best of State nominees are evaluated on three key components: achievement and excellence in a particular field; innovation; and contributions to improving the quality of life in Utah.
The Hillcrest Theater Department excels in each category. The department’s achievements include nine state Utah High School Activities Association theater championships, 12 regional theater championships, and 11 divisional Sweepstakes wins at the Shakespeare Competition held each year at Southern Utah University.
Gremmert says she is grateful that Best of State recognizes the importance of theater and the hard work of theater teachers across the state.
“These kids are being exposed to so much content and curriculum within all the different facets of theater,” she says. “They’re walking out the door prepared, whether they stay in theater or not, just to be better human beings.”
Each year, the department takes on new and challenging productions, many of which have never been performed outside of London. When students aren’t in rehearsal, they’re working to help their community grow. Hillcrest plays and musicals are among the largest every year because Long and Gremmert cast all interested students.
“We feel a ton of trust from the Midvale community. We feel very trusted with these kids and with what we are going to put together. People are going to come see it, even if they haven’t heard the title before,” says Long. “I think this trophy is honoring the coming together of so many people to create excellence in education.”
Hillcrest’s theater teachers and students don’t have any plans to slow down. They have already announced a challenging lineup for the 2025-2026 school year.
In the fall, the curtain at the new Hillcrest auditorium, which was completed with funds from the voter-approved 2017 bond, will rise on the national debut of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Wendy & Peter Pan.” That show will be followed by “The Phantom of the Opera.” Then, the Huskies will cap the year with “Amadeus”.
