The best male/female performer were from the same show, so the writer did an overview that’s applicable to both and then a separate blurb on each, however you want to lay that out.
Our two best performers for 2026 hail from the same production, Springfield Theatre Centre’s Beetlejuice Jr. This show is a whimsical and musical gothic funhouse adaptation of the Tim Burton cult-classic film. It’s a big, irreverent, zany show that’s filled with heart and enormous sand worm puppets. It’s not surprising then, that audiences remembered two of its most impressive and talented young stars. The directing team labeled both teens as two of the hardest-working and kindest actors around, and not just in their age group.
Olivia Garren, a Taylorville High School student, played the mournful goth wannabee, Lydia Green, with a poise and professionalism far beyond her years. She anchored the production, capturing Lydia’s sharp, dry wit and profound grief without ever delving into caricature. Whether commanding the stage during soaring, pitch-perfect deliveries of anthems like “Dead Mom” or leaning into the dark, comedic eccentricities of the netherworld, Garren always kept the audience rapt.
Perhaps that’s because she is already a seasoned professional at the Hoogland – performing in PAVE, ACTT, Hoogland Education and multiple STC shows.
“I love Lydia’s character, but she’s a big stretch because I’m a happy person and she’s sad all the time, but it’s fun to play someone so different from myself,” said Garren.
Audiences would not have suspected Garren’s sunny, offstage disposition considering her onstage depth.
As Beetlejuice Jr. director Nicole Sivak observed, “Olivia is a force – a real talent with a great sense of characterization and is nothing like the angsty teen she portrayed. I can’t wait to see what she does next.”
This article appears in October 29-November 4, 2026.
