Cheney drama program active again

CHENEY – For the

first time since the COVID

pandemic swept

through, Cheney High

School will have an active

drama program

this year.

According to the

new program director,

Michael Scott, they will

bringing two live shows

to the stage.

"We have two shows

we will be performing

this year," Scott said.

"The overall theme is

something historic and

something fun."

"The program is going

through a big turnaround,

and I hope to

highlight a more educational

aspect," he

added.

The first show will

be a live variation of

the book, Radium Girls,

which tells the story

of women who worked

with self-luminous

paint in the 1920's.

Many of the women

were poisoned by radium

as no safety protocols

were in effect at

the time, and the women

would use the paint

on their own nails, and

in some cases ingested

it when trying to give

their brushes points.

Scott said he wanted

to break the traditional

threshold of theatre and

put more emphasis into

the educational side of

theatre.

That was part of

the reason this performance

was chosen, it

teaches and entertains

at the same time according

to Scott.

Those performances

will take place in the

new high school auditorium

in February 2024.

The shows will be

played on the weekends

from Feb. 2-11.

On Feb. 2 and 3 they

will play at 7:00 p.m.

and on Sunday Feb. 4

there will be a 2 p.m.

matinee showing.

The second show is

all about fun and entertainment

according

to Scott, and the drama

program will be acting

out The SpongeBob Musical.

"The kids absolutely

lost their minds when

they found out," Scott

said. "This one is all

about having fun and

being a little silly probably."

Scott, who also works

full time for American

Medical Response, said

his passion for theatre

keeps him motivated.

He also said one

major change this year

is that the ticket sales

for the shows will be

online this year. The

program will run a lot

more streamlined in

that aspect according to

Scott, as tickets get sent

straight to the buyer's

phone or email.

"We actually hope to

run a completely cashless

program," Scott

said.

"That way we can

make the entire process

more efficient for the

guests, the kids and the

program itself."

"We are just super

excited to be able to be

back in action and finally

can perform in

the new auditorium,"

Author Bio

Matthew Stephens, Reporter

Matthew graduated from West Virginia University-Parkersburg in 2011 with a journalism degree. He's an award-winning photographer and enjoys writing stories about people.