At the end of the day, students walk outside to go home. But theatre kids take a detour. Holding their scripts, they go through the band hallway instead of exiting through door sixteen, opening a door to the backstage of the Hottenroth Auditorium. Many Thomas Worthington students walk past the Hottenroth without looking at its plaque. The plaque is of gratitude to Elaine Hottenroth, whom the theater was named after. The Hottenroth is being torn down after this year to be rebuilt as the Cardinal was torn down for last year. But though it will not be here soon, not many at Thomas know about or remember Elaine Hottenroth.

Hottenroth was the activity director for theater at Thomas from 1971-1991. She was also an English teacher at Thomas. Some may have heard of Bronwyn Hopton, who directed theater at Thomas until the early 2010s. Hottenroth did a lot of Thomas musicals and Hopton did more with the plays, which makes sense because the Hottenroth is usually used by the theater program for musicals. However, currently there is no one with her activity director job. In addition to Hopton, Hottenroth worked with her sister Nancy on occasion. Some significant musicals done while Hottenroth was the activity director were Oklahoma (at least three times), Carousel (at least twice), South Pacific, Brigadoon (at least twice), Fiddler on the Roof (at least twice), Hello Dolly (at least twice), Annie Get Your Gun, Camelot, The Music Man, and Guys and Dolls. J.K. Simmons from Law and Order was in her department when he went to high school here. She was also a director when Hopton went to Thomas and mentored Hopton when she became a Thomas teacher.

Outside of Thomas Worthington, Hottenroth was influential in Galion, Ohio. She was from there and according to her obituary on the Snyder Funeral Homes website, which had a lot of good information for this article, she was Citizen of the Year once. Hottenroth’s relatives purchased the theater in the town. She paid a lot of money for the restoration of it. She also helped the community theatre in Galion. The obituary says the auditorium at Thomas was named after her because she helped with the starting of multiple auditoriums. Hottenroth is in two halls of fame: the Worthington High School Hall of Fame and the Galion Alumni Hall of Fame.

Elaine died on November sixth, 2023. She was eighty-nine when she died and had been retired for thirty-two years. Before she died, the Hottenroth Auditorium was planned to be rebuilt after this school year. Hopefully, the new auditorium will be named after her as well for her influence on Thomas.

Many thanks to Mrs. Elder for reaching out to Hottenroth’s niece, Gail.