The Ben Nelson Showcase has usually been reserved for members of the the Perrywinkles Improv team, but this year, it is open for all Perry students to participate.

The showcase has a wide range of talents performing this year, most with a comedic bent.

From stand-up to improv, the event this year is sure to be exciting, ending with a lucky student receiving a one thousand-dollar scholarship, given by the school to a senior who has participated in both acting and technical work, and displays high moral character.

The event was created in memorial of Ben Nelson, a student who went to Perry as a freshman during the school’s opening year. Tragically, Nelson lost his life when, on a trip to Utah, his family was in a car accident. The rest of the family survived.

Nelson, who was instrumental in creating Perry’s theatre department, would not be forgotten. The theatre teachers established the Ben Nelson Showcase, which is held annually, to allow students and staff to remember not his death, but his spirit.

The Ben Nelson Showcase will be held on April 25 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.