Several Mars Area School District students took to the stage with Jeter Backyard Theater at the 2026 Junior Theater Festival, held Jan. 16-18 in Atlanta, Ga.

Students included Mars Area Middle School eighth-graders Teagan Clawson and Megan Schaffner; and Mars Area Centennial School sixth-graders Lydia McKim, Sadie Rhoads, Callie Schaffner, Mackenzie Schnur, Hadley Sichler and Zoey Szelong. The students, along with tehri fellow Jeter Theater performers, was awarded Excellence in Pod, an award  that recognizes the group with the highest score in their assigned adjudication group.

The Junior Theater Festival, which celebrates the achievements of young people in musical theater, welcomed 141 student groups, representing 31 states and nine countries.  For more information, visit https://jeterbackyardtheater.com/.