It's Not "Just a High School Show"

Some people hear "high school theater" and picture cardboard sets, awkward acting, and flamboyant teachers insistent on pulling magic out of thin air.

They're not totally wrong, we do pull off magic with gaff tape and tie line. But dismissing school theater as "just a high school show" misses the point entirely.

Professional Standards, Student Hearts

Many of us run our school theater programs like professional companies. We meet with directors, choreographers, and music teams. We chase performance rights, sometimes shelling out thousands to legally perform a show. We partner with alumni who are now industry pros. We schedule meetings months in advance and juggle everyone's calendars like Tetris. Our standards are high because we want our students to understand the value of what we do as a company. 

Many years ago, we employed a fantastic carpenter to build some of our more difficult set pieces. He’s an IATSE carpenter, and he worked with us for little more than the cost of materials because, in his words, “we were crazy” and he loved that. When he asked me how many shows we were doing that year, I rattled off eight titles. 

“Eight?!” he stared at me. “We don’t even do eight.”

He wasn’t wrong, it was crazy. But that’s our mission, bring as many students into the fold and show them how a theater runs. Show them the complexity, the moving parts, and the commitment required to make that engine run. We could do two big shows and call it a season, many places do. But does that afford our students as much opportunity as they need? If education is the goal, are they being exposed to different styles, genres, roles, stories, and challenges? Doing Disney and Ibsen, with Gunderson, Irwin, and Leguazamo in between is a vast swath of material. And exposure to those differences isn’t only what real theater looks like, it's what real life looks like.

In our upcoming production, every adult on the design team is an alum. Our program has three generations of working artists and these graduates who now work professionally are coming back to share their skills. It doesn't get more full-circle than that. Their involvement isn't a gimmick—it's a living, breathing example of how the value of high school theater extends far beyond the walls of our building.

Budget Cuts and Big Dreams

After our district lost funding, I had to hit the pavement to raise $24,000 to keep our programs running. Did I hit the goal? Not yet. But the community support has been overwhelming. People offered paint, raffle items, and services. All because they believe in the kids and the experiences we create. We are what is creating career readiness in our students. That’s worth reaching out for, and it's valuable to our neighbors as well. They see the dedicated young people about to step out into the world, and our students see a community who is ready to cheer them on. 

The Takeaway

When we invest in school theater, we invest in critical thinking, emotional maturity, thoughtful self expression, technical skills, confidence, and commitment to something greater.

It's not just a high school show. It's a launchpad.

So the next time you hear someone downplay it, invite them backstage.

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