Middle Schoolers own the stage at the Junior Theater Festival

Students earned an award for “Excellence in Music ” for their performance of “Newsies JR,” while judges recognized Arnav Mohan ’31 and Ike Tift ’30 as “All Stars.”
By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications


Under the direction of Theater Director Bakari King, 40 University School of Nashville Middle Schoolers traveled to Atlanta to represent the school at the annual Junior Theater Festival, the world’s largest celebration of youth musical theater, from Friday, January 16, through Sunday, January 18. 

While at JTF, students immersed themselves in three full days of music and dance workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with musical theater professionals, many of whom work directly on Broadway. The experience offered students a behind-the-scenes look at the industry while helping them grow as artists. 

At the heart of each group’s participation in JTF is a 15-minute musical performance presented to a panel of theater professionals serving as judges. 

This year, USN students showcased “Newsies JR.,” a condensed version of their Middle School musical from August 2025. With just eight rehearsals to prepare, the cast faced the challenge of distilling a 60-minute show into a tightly crafted performance that still told a complete and compelling story.

Students in King’s class worked to develop the performance and, with his guidance, decided which “story” of Newsies they wanted to tell. Ultimately, it was a story about collective action, standing up for what is right, and seeking common ground.

“It was a different experience to shorten a 60-minute show into 15 minutes and still tell the whole story, but I thought that we did it well, and we all went with whatever Mr. King told us to do,” said Ike Tift ’30. 

Under King’s guidance, the students passed the challenge with flying colors, and judges took notice, recognizing Arnav Mohan ’31 and Ike as “All Stars” for USN’s group, which is an honor that highlights individual excellence within the ensemble. 

In addition to Arnav and Ike’s individual honors, USN was presented with the “Excellence in Music” award at the final awards ceremony, sending the group home to Nashville with a trophy and a strong sense of accomplishment.

For Ike, the weekend was about much more than awards.

“I really enjoyed JTF and all of the fun times that the cast had together,” he shared. 

Ike also emphasized the importance of teamwork and leadership throughout the process.

“When I found out that I had won an award, it was great, but it was better when we won an award as a whole because we felt that we had really accomplished ourselves,” he said. “Mr. King helped us all get ready by really streamlining our show into the great performance that it was.”

That sense of collective pride and community is central to the theater program at USN.

“My favorite part about participating in theater here at USN is the community where everyone gets together and puts on the best show that we could possibly do,” Ike added. His advice to fellow students is simple and enthusiastic: “If other students ever have the opportunity to go to JTF, take it.”

As Middle School thespians return to USN inspired and energized, their success at JTF stands as a testament to their joy of telling stories together on stage.
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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.