Students at Coconino High School are putting on a musical this week for the first time in 15 years.
The school's theater club, in addition to homeschoolers and Flagstaff High School students, will be performing The Little Mermaid Jr. at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a matinee performance featuring the show鈥檚 understudies at 2 p.m. Saturday.聽
Each show will be at CHS's Zanzucchi Theater. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults and can be purchased ahead of time by scanning the QR code on the poster.
鈥淸We have a] talented cast, wonderful things are happening and I hope everybody can come and experience it and witness this comeback,鈥� said 10th grader Ava Rios, one of the play鈥檚 directors and CHS Theater Club president.
It鈥檚 a student-led production, with students involved in almost every aspect of the performance, from the show selection to casting and set design. The theater club officers, Rios said, offered behind-the-scenes tasks to club members based on what they noticed about their strengths.
Billy Miller, a CHS teacher and the theater club's producer, said there hasn鈥檛 been a shortage of volunteers.
鈥淓ven as late as last week, there are kids saying, 'Oh, you鈥檙e doing a show, how can I be involved?鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 really students seeing their peers doing this and wanting to join us for a good time.鈥�
The CHS Theater Club has been managing the production along with some students from FHS and local homeschoolers. A variety of classes at CHS have been helping out behind the scenes: art students designed the poster and decorated the sets, which were built by the wood shop, while a statistics class developed the budget and music students will be providing accompaniment during the shows.
Theatrikos Theatre Company, Stargazer Collaborative Theater and other Flagstaff theater companies have also contributed to the production.
All of the theater club's work on the musical has been done outside of school hours, as CHS does not currently have a theater class (it will be adding one next year). Those involved in the musical have been practicing for two hours after school every day throughout the semester so far and have more than doubled that time this week for the final dress rehearsals.
Though this is the eighth play Rios has worked on since starting theater in seventh grade, The Little Mermaid Jr. is her first time directing. She said she鈥檚 been taking inspiration from Theatrikos education director Joe Maniglia, using strategies she鈥檚 seen him use in performances she鈥檚 acted in.
"I'm like, 'OK, I'll just do what he does,'" she said. " ... [I'm] trying to make everybody seen and heard and make sure they have what they need, trying to really be a leader and someone who implements kindness. Trying to show that in the work is something I've struggled with, but I think it's part of the job, and it's wonderful and it's really coming together."
She added: 鈥淚 take a lot of pride in being the youngest director in Flagstaff, and I鈥檓 just very, very excited to be doing this."
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 be more proud of how she鈥檚 shaped this show," Miller chimed in, "and is bringing it over the finish line."
Returning performances to CHS
This will be the school鈥檚 first full-length theater production since 2021 as well as its first musical in 15 years.
Rios said her goal, as well as that of the theater club, is to continue to grow theater in schools.
She is also a member of the Arizona Youth Arts Council, part of which involves advocating for performing arts and their benefits.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 been a loss of ambition and love for the arts, and one of my biggest goals has been providing that for other students and people,鈥� she said. 鈥淭heater is such a wonderful and magical place. 鈥� It might be the most incredible space I鈥檝e ever set foot into, so bringing an opportunity to have that is one of my biggest goals.鈥�
Theater, taught by Miller, will be offered as a class for the first time next year.
Miller said former Principal Stacie Zanzucchi was also involved in advocacy for performing arts at CHS, particularly for the remodeling of its theater space, which was completed last year.
鈥淚 think that [remodel] injected some new energy,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd, really, it鈥檚 been the students. I read somewhere that high school theater is probably the best collaborative project you can do, and everybody鈥檚 really answered that call, contributing from all different kinds of areas.鈥�
Miller added that the student-led approach will continue, using the process of putting together this week鈥檚 show as a model.
Both Rios and Miller hope CHS鈥檚 theater program continues to grow. The plan is to put on two or three performances next year, alongside the new class and continued efforts from the club.
鈥淚 hope that this show and many others will reach students at Coconino and beyond and have them see that the arts and theater is something that's special that they can be a part of,鈥� Rios said. 鈥淚 hope that more people join. I hope that we're seen by administrators and seeing that, 'Oh, this is something that's wonderful and this should continue happening.' I hope that we get continuous support for this."