Giving students opportunity — that’s what Suzie DuVal wants for Jordan High’s theatre program.
As director of the program, it was on her mind when she gave 19 students speaking parts in a 10-minute ensemble piece for the 48th annual Utah Shakespeare High School Festival. It’s on her mind when she reached out to multi-language learners to try their talents to perform on stage.
It’s on her mind when she decided to share the leading roles for different productions amongst the student-actors, so everyone had a chance.
“We’re working really hard to open the umbrella and make this a welcoming place for all our students,” DuVal said.
That same philosophy rings true with rehearsals. DuVal and co-director Drew Cannon are creating rehearsal schedules with minimum after-school time so students who have other responsibilities — jobs, babysitting or they’re involved in other commitments — can be part of the program. It also rings true with the improvisation team, allowing drama club students to have the flexibility to be part of the team and perform after attending two rehearsals before
the show.
“We’re really trying to involve as many kids as we can and to have our performing arts department match the diversity of our school. Right now, our school is 39% minorities, so we’ve had good success with getting more Latinos and multi-language learners involved this year and that has really diversified our group,” DuVal said.
Jordan’s theatre season kicked off with 74 students loading onto buses to go to the Shakespeare festival in Cedar City. There, 32 students performed a compilation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“It was an interesting challenge to do the compilation of the whole play in our allotted 10 minutes; my goal is always to have the most kids speak and have the most kids have opportunities, so it was a lot of fun to do,” she said.
DuVal said most of those with speaking roles were sophomores.
“We made the decision if kids had speaking or lead roles in the musical, they weren’t going to play the leads in the Shakespeare ensemble scene. It worked out this year was a good year to give younger students those experiences and build our team,” she said.
In addition to the ensemble, three students performed monologues and four stage tech students competed in eight contests. In addition, drama students took part in two scenes and choir and dance students
also competed.
“It’s a lot of fun for our students to go there, put forth their effort and get to see others perform as well,” DuVal said, adding this year, the students saw Utah Shakespeare Festival’s “Much Ado About Nothing.”
About 70 Jordan students also are preparing for their upcoming musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The show will take place at 7 p.m., Nov. 14-16 and again, Nov. 18 on the school stage, 95 E. Beetdigger Blvd. Tickets, $8 for adults and $6 for students and children, are available through a link on the school’s website, jhs.canyonsdistrict.org, or at the door.
“I picked ‘Drowsy Chaperone’ because I felt I had the perfect cast for it. We have nine leads in the show. It spreads out opportunities for everybody to shine. It also has an ensemble that comes in as back-up singers in almost every number. They’re in a lot of things, but it doesn’t require them to be at quite as many rehearsals, which works out well for our students,” she said.
DuVal adds the jazz band under the direction of Jordan Wright will accompany the actors, giving those musicians opportunity to perform on stage.
The show is under direction of DuVal and Cannon. Jordan dance teacher, Jenni Humphrey, is the choreographer and choir teacher, Karen Putnam, is the music director.
The musical is followed by “Night of Broadway,” which will be performed at 7 p.m., Dec. 19 in the auditorium. About 30 students will take part in the performance.
The school’s spring play is Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” which will be at 7 p.m., Feb. 20-22, 2025 and again, Feb. 24, 2025. Fifty students will be involved in the production, and it will be performed in
the auditorium.
In the spring, the student-actors will compete in a one-act as well as individual pieces for region in March. State is in April.
The Theatre 2 showcase is set for 7 p.m., May 6, 2025 and the season closes with student-directed one-act performances at 7 p.m., May 7 and May 8, 2025.
“Usually we do all student-written pieces if we have enough playwrights. Usually, we perform them in the choir room, because it’s just a better setting for those smaller pieces,” she said.
Eventually, Jordan High will have a black box theatre and that’s where DuVal plans to have students perform those pieces.
The black box theatre, as well as the renovation of the auditorium, are part of a recent bond the Canyons Board of Education approved. The auditorium renovation is scheduled for summer of 2025.
Additionally, the improvisation team will have about five performances this year, with the first one scheduled in November.
As members of the drama club, students have socials, perform service and attend performances at Hale Theatre, Pioneer Memorial Theatre and Eccles Theatre.
“We’re trying to give our students these opportunities and experiences where they learn and are a part of an inclusive group here at school,” DuVal said. “We have a lot of fun.” λ