Previous Shows

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Performed April 2022

Making of Children's Play

Poster

Design by Caleb Immel

A Note from the Director:

“Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage”- C.S. Lewis

During World War 2, a group of children were sent to the British country-side to the home of a humble professor in order to avoid the London air strikes. These children inspired that professor, also known as author, C.S. Lewis, to redefine the boundaries of imagination for generations of children to come. C.S. Lewis wrote letters throughout this time of housing evacuee children from the war, often showing grave concern over the “modern children’s” lack of imagination, trauma from their displacement due to the war and inability to keep themselves amused. In 1935 he wrote, “I often wonder what the present generation of children will grow up like…they have been treated with so much indulgence, yet so little affection, with so much science and so little mother-wit. Not a fairy tale, nor a nursery rhyme”. I see a genuine parallel between C.S. Lewis’ concern for the children of his time and my own concern, as an educator, for the children of our own time.
Imaginations rendered inadequate by flashy technology, attention absorbed by smart phones and empathy impacted by a pandemic that kept us isolated from one another…our children are also suffering from an inability to unlock and activate their own imaginations. And once again, C.S. Lewis seems to have the answer: Narnia. Narnia is an extraordinary place that exists within the overlooked, ordinary crevices of our day to day world. Though always under your nose, this world of magic and imagination requires a closer look, a hopeful heart and a childlike wonder to unlock and embrace. In our production, we insist you take a deeper look at the world around you to find the magic that is just out of plain sight, waiting to remind you that courage, community and hope are the ideals that hold us together in the most trying times.
Our production consists of devised elements crafted and created by our students through movement, dance, improvisation and character inspiration. These moments that have been added to the play were thought up and crafted through collaboration of the cast. This is the first show we have worked to incorporate devised elements into and the students have been so excited to embrace this unique form of theatre to create a physical vocabulary that allows them to tell classic tales in new and creative ways. We hope that through this work, the world and inhabitants of Narnia come alive for you and your family to enjoy. Take a moment to turn off your phone, your worries, your outside world and allow yourself a moment to remember what it is to be swept up in childlike wonder with no boundaries on your imagination.

Production Photos

Newsies

Performed November 2021

Trailer

Making of Musical Documentary

Poster

Design by Archie Ream

A Note from the Director:

Throughout the past two years of uncertainty, cancellations, disappointments and disheartening decisions, the one thing that has remained clear is that we only succeed when we stand together. When deciding on the annual musical to perform this year, I was drawn to one of my childhood favorites because it encompassed exactly the attitude I was hoping to spread to our students- A story of adversity met with hope and comradery as opposed to apathy or devastation. A tale that teaches us that nothing is impossible if we stand together and unite our voices in an outcry for what we believe is right. Newsies is the story we needed, not only to show how important it is to come together as a community to support one another in this tough year, but for our students to embody and perform the comradery and triumph these newsboys stand for amidst another year where students are feeling powerless as Covid continues to change their routines. The greatest experience of directing this production has been watching these talented teenagers become empowered by a true story of children risking everything to take on the king makers of New York City, and seeing how our students are putting that new-found confidence to work in their day to day life. I’m so proud of how hard our students have worked to bring you this production and how much they have learned about themselves and the power of their united voice through the process. I hope audiences are equally inspired by our student’s depiction of the story and the message at its heart:

“Wrong’s will be righted
If we’re united
Let us seize the day!”

I am so excited to be taking over the honor of directing the annual musical here at Jefferson High School and hope that the community enjoys this performance as much as our students and production team have enjoyed creating it. Thank you for supporting theatre here at Jeff! We hope to see you at many more!

Gina Braswell
Theatre Arts Teacher

Production Photos

"Hey Specs, Raver, Henry, Albert! Get a move on boys, them papes don't sell themselves!"
-Newsies, Harvey Fierstein

Sherwood

Performed October 2021

Trailer

Making of Mainstage Documentary

Poster

Design by Caleb Immel

A Note from the Directors:

Adventure. Courage. Community.

For ages, Robin Hood has served as a symbol for standing up for something bigger than one’s self. While being seen by the upper class as an outlaw and a thief, Robin Hood built an interconnected community to support and bring peace to the oppressed. While legends of this unlikely hero have been whispered by bards throughout ages and surfaced as books, tv shows and movies, Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood takes each of these legends and combines them into one laugh-out-loud comedy that still finds a way to hit home. In a pandemic driven economy, we have seen first hand how financial inequality is affecting the everyday life of families. The legend of Robin Hood gives us hope in uncertain times: it reminds us that our ultimate responsibility in troubled times is to look out for each other. This felt like a message we needed to hear right now more than ever. Robin Hood became legend because of the distinct ethical code the character upheld throughout trials and tribulations—that the needs of the oppressed and downtrodden are the responsibility of all. A code that holds humanity accountable for creating a community of acceptance, and encouraging that community to keep courage alive and stand up for what is right, regardless of where the power lies. Robin Hood is as much a symbol for community as he is a symbol of revolution. I think in this production, we really try to focus on that community building aspect of the story, along with encouraging our students to learn from the code Robin follows—standing together for something bigger than ourselves; being responsible for our fellow man in the face of adversity.