PNW Performing Arts is bringing the spotlight a little closer to home. The Snoqualmie Valley school, founded by a team of educators and artists and also home to Little Stars Preschool, will host the PNW Theatre Festival at The W Hotel in Bellevue from May 15-17, 2026.
Corey Schwarz has long believed that world-class training shouldn’t require kids to leave their community, and participating in a festival of this scale alongside business partner and founder Kim Tolman and Artistic Director Kathryn Van Meyer is, for Schwarz, a dream realized and a signal to the entire region that extraordinary artistry is being cultivated right here in the Snoqualmie Valley.
The festival’s headliner workshop artist is Thayne Jasperson, an original Broadway cast member of Hamilton who originated the role of Samuel Seabury. Jasperson has performed on Broadway and internationally and, throughout the festival weekend, will lead workshops, work directly with students, and share insight into what it really takes to pursue a performing arts career.
Schwarz describes Jasperson as someone who represents longevity, professionalism, and storytelling at the highest level, and as part of a cultural phenomenon that reshaped musical theatre. Up close, students will witness the discipline, humility, work ethic, and heart behind sustained success.
“When students hear feedback from someone who performs eight shows a week on Broadway, it shifts something internally,”Schwarz said. “The art becomes real. The dream becomes tangible. The standard becomes clearer. They begin to understand that excellence is not accidental — it’s built daily.” For Valley students, access to this level of artistry and mentorship is rare, and Jasperson brings not only professional experience but a genuine passion for mentoring young artists.
The PNW Theatre Festival is a three-day celebration of youth theatre open to studios, schools, community programs, and individuals of all ages and experience levels. Performance categories span acting, vocals, musical theatre, dance, improv, and monologues, with subcategories designed to match performers to repertoire that suits their training and style. Age divisions range from Mini (for performers 8 and under) through Junior, Pre-Teen, Teen, and Senior, up to Adult 1 and Adult 2 for performers 35 and older.
Training levels are also used to group performers with peers at a similar stage of development, with level placement left to the discretion of directors and coaches. Whether a student is stepping onto an adjudicated stage for the first time or preparing for college auditions, the festival is designed for them. Beyond performances, the weekend includes small-scale workshops, large-scale masterclasses, skill-building intensives, and community events, all set against a backdrop of professional stage lighting and sound. Every performance receives live, supportive adjudication from three judges, and students also have the opportunity to earn scholarships and future invitations.
Close to 80 PNW Performing Arts students are expected to participate in the festival this year, a number that reflects both the program’s growth and its commitment to giving students meaningful performance opportunities. It won’t be their first time on a big stage. The school recently returned from the Junior Theater Festival, where students earned an Excellence in Acting Award and participated in workshops in singing, acting, and dance. But beyond the award, the experience revealed something deeper.
“Students who once hesitated to step forward volunteered to lead,” Schwarz said. “Performers who struggled with self-doubt stood taller. The team bonded in ways that only shared artistic risk can create. These events always accelerate growth. They build resilience. They strengthen community. And they remind students that they are part of something bigger than themselves.”
What sets the PNW Theatre Festival apart starts with its philosophy: this is a festival, not a competition. Process over perfection, mentorship over competition, and the transformative magic that happens when young people are encouraged to bring their full selves to the stage. There are no numerical rankings or traditional trophies here. Instead, every performer receives written professional feedback from three adjudicators, tailored to their age and training commitment, constructive, specific, and supportive.
Judges provide live, spoken feedback during performances, and every student is seen, supported, and celebrated. Recognition at the festival celebrates exceptional artistry, artistic promise, and collective spirit, with work considered within the context of age category and training commitment.
The Spirit of the Festival Award goes to the studio that best embodies the festival’s values of professionalism, collaboration, generosity, and positive presence. Students are recognized for storytelling, teamwork, leadership, and artistic commitment. This is not a “perform and leave” competition.
Workshops are thoughtfully leveled, and the atmosphere is one of celebration and elevation, not pressure, welcoming everyone from students stepping onto an adjudicated stage for the very first time to those exploring the arts purely for confidence and joy to those applying for BFA programs. “More than anything, we hope they gain confidence rooted in growth,” Schwarz said. “We want them to understand that storytelling has power — that the way they interpret a lyric, deliver a monologue, or move across a stage can move an audience. Professional feedback helps them see what’s landing, what can deepen, and how their individual voice matters.”
The fun doesn’t stop with the performers. Workshops will be offered specifically for parents of performers, performing arts educators, and community members invested in youth arts, because when families understand how to support young artists emotionally, logistically, and developmentally, everyone benefits. Families and community members are also invited to attend performances throughout the weekend, and Schwarz says the most powerful support is presence and participation.
For Schwarz, a festival of this scale is about more than one weekend of performances. It places Snoqualmie and the greater Valley arts community squarely on the regional map, creating visibility for performers, educators, and the artistry being built here.
“Our roots are firmly planted here in Snoqualmie Valley,” Schwarz said. “We rehearse here. We grow here. We build confidence here.” For more information, visit pnwtheatrefestival.com or email info@pnwtheatrefestival.com.
The Valley has always had the talent. Now it has the stage.
