Keena Dietz

Keena’s bold dream is to deepen her knowledge of theater production and design. Keena will be using the Fellowship to attend Interlochen Performing Arts School during her senior year of high school. Keena’s previous Ann Bancroft Foundation grant allowed her to attend a summer theater-intensive program at Interlochen Center for Performing Arts. During her time there, she won the Maddy Summer Artist Award, which is the highest award given by Interlochen after their summer at the camp.

Keena says, “In fact, theatre is my favorite art medium and dream because it allows me to tackle these very issues [promoting empathy and understanding]. When watching a play or a musical, people step into another world for a few hours. This immersive experience allows people to gain a better understanding of others and the world we all live in once they emerge from the production because they have seen life from another angle. The empathy that theatre fosters is irreplaceable.”

When asked what advice she would give to her young self, Keena says, “...there is no need to feel like you have to find your life-long passion right away. Both exploration and discovery are important and should be given the time and energy they need. This is especially important since all of your passions can support each other. Your love of music will help your sound design, while your love of reading will aid you in analyzing the plays you are designing.”