For the 21st consecutive year, Kaukauna Community Players is pleased to induct 2 outstanding individuals to the Kaukauna High School Performing Arts Hall of Fame. Created in 1990, KCP has honored individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Fine Arts either on or off stage.
CLAUDIA WEAVER
Inspired by her daughter’s request and her husband’s encouragement to audition for a BRAVO! Production in 2003, Claudia and Laura were delighted to be cast in the show! Bitten by the theater bug, they auditioned and were cast in the chorus of KCP’s production of Oklahoma! that following summer. They have been in every KCP show since then.
What distinguishes Claudia in the theater, besides her singing voice, is her interpretation of the character she has been selected to play. After studying the character carefully, Claudia portrays it with her voice, her costume, her hair style, her acting and her every movement on the stage. Often costuming herself, she hunts for items that will enhance her character in costume rooms, St. Vincent de Paul, and sometimes her own closet! Whether she is playing the kind and loving mother of Wendy, Michael and John in Peter Pan the ugly, selfish and greedy stepmother in Cinderella or the frustrated fiancé in Guys and Dolls Adelaide’s Lament, the audience always understands and appreciates Claudia’s characters.
Claudia was elected to the Kaukauna Community Players Board of Directors in 2008. As an active board member, she helps edit In the Wings, serves on the scholarship selection committee and serves in the capacity of liaison between the board and the directors for Willy Wonka. She happily does whatever is needed. While volunteering with the Drama Parents organization at Kaukauna High School, she can be seen ushering, selling tickets and supporting the arts in any way possible.
Her love for the theater began as a child in a role off stage, continued through high school and has been a passion that she and her daughter continue to share. We welcome her in the Kaukauna High School Performing Arts Hall of Fame – 2011.
DAN MADER
A native of Kimberly, Dan’s first live theater experience was in 7th grade as a lighting operator. That was the beginning of his lifelong love of the theater and the technical aspect of it. After graduating from UWW he taught in Pulaski, was married to Lisa and then moved to Kaukauna to take a teaching position at KHS. As an extra duty assignment, Dan signed on to be the stage manager at KHS, thus becoming reacquainted with his passion for the theater. He challenged himself by learning the lighting and sound systems on his own and continued to increase his knowledge of what it takes to produce the high school productions.
Dan has been a member of every show KCP has produced in the current high school as either a member of the pit orchestra, sound/lighting board operator, technical director or set builder. Besides KCP and KHS productions, he has also performed or been a member of the technical crews for Kimberly Players, BRAVO! and Fishartz. His most involved show was KCP’s 25th anniversary show of Pajama Game when he was the Technical Director, set designer and builder (with his good friend Gayle Weaver), and pit percussionist. The set that challenged him the most was KCP’s production of Peter Pan. As a percussionist he was most challenged by KCP’s production of The King and I where he played the widest variety and number of instruments in his career. Directors like Steve Kelly, Roz Bauer, Jean Montes, John Quigley and Jim Romenesko have mentored and challenged his technical and musical skills. His favorite show that he participated in was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
However, he cites is most memorable as Seussical where he was a member of the pit orchestra and his two daughters, Ingrid and Lydia, were members of the cast. We look forward to many more years of the Mader family’s participation in our shows!