Niwot High School's first Unified Theater performance

During the final class of the day on Friday, May 3, Niwot High School offered its first-ever Unified Theater production, "Descendants: The Musical."

Unified Theater was first introduced to Niwot High School this year through its semester-long class, which brings together students with and without special needs through theater. Friends and families of the performers were invited to attend along with the students of Niwot High School.

The performance was a showcase of Niwot High School's different sides. Head of the Drama Department Amanda Foust, Student Director Rori Ann Barchers, Amy Holle, and many others from the Special Education Department did an incredible job of making acting on stage accessible to all students.

For example, multiple actors are non-verbal, but even with that barrier, they could have lines through text-to-speech. It was truly incredible to see such a range of students pursue something recently made accessible to students with special needs.

One of the biggest contributors to the musical was Rori Ann Barchers, who had a pivotal role in student directing, blocking, running some rehearsals, and choreographing many of the songs. Barchers said of both her and Amanda Foust, "We were so thankful for having this experience. We learned a lot from each other, and it was so much fun to put on this production and introduce it to the district."

Ethan Withnell, who played Jay, the son of Jafar, talked about how "the play got me outside of my comfort zone." He said, "I had to speak in front of so many people." So many people was the perfect way to describe the audience, which was nearly full, and packed with a high-energy and supportive crowd. After every song and scene change there was massive applause, showing the actors the support they deserved.

Cast members expressed their gratitude for the support they received from both St. Vrain Valley School District and the community, and hope to have the same opportunity next year.

Niwot High's Unified Programs, including district-wide sports, seek to bring students together for a more diverse and inclusive world.