Five Shows High Schools Should Perform More & Five They Shouldn't
(Photo: Palo Alto High School)
by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder
With the start of the new school year, High School theater Productions typically start to come together. Audition notices are posted, excitement builds, and thoughts swirl inside high school thespians' heads about what these shows could look like.
High school theater is a unique platform where students can explore creativity, build confidence, and showcase their talents. The right choice of material can engage students and inspire more to get involved. However, choosing the wrong play or musical can result in challenges ranging from overwhelming production requirements to unnecessary administration involvement.
This list aims to provide guidance to high school theater directors by highlighting five musicals or plays that should be performed more often, as well as five that should be approached with caution.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Why it works: "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is a quirky, fun musical about a spelling competition. Its ensemble nature allows a wide range of students to shine, offering multiple lead roles rather than focusing on just one or two performers. The show also offers opportunities for improvisation, keeping things fresh and unexpected with each performance.
Benefits for students: This show is rich in character development, with each student having their own story arc. It offers opportunities for diverse casting, as well as solutions when such diversity isn’t available. It also provides comedic timing and requires both vocal and acting chops, making it a great learning experience for young performers. Its humor is generally clean and appropriate for high school audiences, while its content subtly touches on relatable teenage anxieties.
“She Kills Monsters”
Why it works: This play by Qui Nguyen blends humor, heart, and high fantasy into a contemporary story about grief, acceptance, and self-discovery. Set partially in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, the play allows for creative staging, costumes, and choreography. It’s an excellent opportunity to tap into the interests of students who may not typically be involved in theater.
Benefits for students: "She Kills Monsters" tackles themes like sibling relationships, LGBTQ+ identity, and the escapism of fantasy games in a way that is fresh and accessible for teenagers. The roles are diverse and allow students to explore a range of emotions, from comedy to drama, while engaging in action-packed stage combat.
“Little Women” (The Play or Musical)
Why it works: Whether performed as a play or a musical, “Little Women” is a timeless classic that offers strong roles for young women and is filled with universal themes of family, love, and perseverance. The musical version, in particular, provides beautiful songs and heartfelt moments.
Benefits for students: This show allows female performers to play iconic literary characters with depth and complexity. It also features excellent costume and set design opportunities, especially for students interested in working behind the scenes. It’s a beloved story that resonates across generations.
“Middletown”
Why it works: Will Eno’s play offers a unique blend of accessibility, thought-provoking themes, and flexible production requirements, making it ideal for student actors and high school audiences alike. The story centers around two main characters: John Dodge and Mary Swanson, who recently moved to town. Through a series of vignettes involving various townspeople—ranging from a mechanic to a librarian to an astronaut—the play presents both ordinary and extraordinary moments of life, blending humor and poignancy.
Benefits for students: This show offers female performers a chance to play iconic literary characters with depth and complexity. It also features excellent opportunities for costume and set design, especially for students interested in working behind the scenes. "Middletown" encourages students and audiences to think deeply about the impact of their actions and words on others, fostering a sense of empathy that is especially crucial during the high school years.
“Family Album”
Why it works: The teen edition of Joe Iconis’s song cycle - “Album,” “Family Album,” is a compelling, flexible, and musically rich production that offers high school students a unique chance to explore a variety of musical styles and tackle emotionally resonant material.
Benefits for students: The show provides students with material that encourages emotional vulnerability and introspection, helping them grow as actors and explore deep, complex emotions on stage. High schools can produce this show with minimal props and costumes, reducing production costs while still delivering a powerful and emotionally rich performance.
Five Shows to Avoid (at least right now)
“Les Misérables (School Edition)”
Why it doesn’t work: "Les Misérables" is a beautiful, powerful musical, but its complex staging, vocals, and story make it a daunting choice for most high schools. Even the "School Edition" is demanding, requiring an extraordinary level of vocal ability and emotional maturity from young performers.
Challenges: The scale of this production can overwhelm both students and directors. Not to mention the likely cost involved. There are so many great musicals available instead of taking this behemoth on.
“Rent (School Edition)”
Why it doesn’t work: "Rent" is a groundbreaking musical, but even the "School Edition" strips down its content without fully addressing the themes of HIV/AIDS, drug addiction, and sexual relationships. The mature nature of the show can make it uncomfortable for students and their families.
Challenges: While I personally love the show and the music is popular, the subject matter can make this a lightning rod in any community. High schools often face pushback from parents and administration when tackling controversial themes, and "Rent" often raises those concerns. Again, I love the show, but there are plenty of other shows out there. Skip this one for now.
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Why it doesn’t work: While this is a brilliant piece of musical theater, it is extremely dark, violent, and thematically intense for a high school production. It has been in the past and will continue to be an alarm bell for communities.
Challenges: Aside from the challenging vocals and orchestration, the subject matter alone can be a deterrent for high school productions. It can be difficult to stage in a way that balances its horror elements with appropriate content for a school setting.
“The Crucible”
Why it doesn’t work: "The Crucible" is an American classic, but its heavy themes of mass hysteria, false accusations, and capital punishment may not be the best fit for a high school in 2024 and the near future. While the play offers strong roles and a historical context, the dark and somber mood can weigh heavily on student performers and audiences alike.
Challenges: The story’s themes of witchcraft and paranoia are complex, and the pacing may feel slow or overly grim for high schoolers nowadays. I recommend teaching it in a class as a text, but performing it may not be a great idea right now.
“The Sound of Music”
Why it doesn’t work: Hot take right? Hear me out. Besides being way overdone, there are some reasons why I would avoid this show. Though Maria is a fantastic role for a young actress, the other female characters in the musical are somewhat limited in scope and depth, which don’t provide the opportunity a director might think they do. The show is incredibly dated and is reactive on diverse casting ( I, as a Korean, was cast as a Nazi soldier in a school production). Also, there has been multiple controveries over the usage of Nazi imagery in recent local productions.
Challenges: The musical's overexposure, dated themes, uneven role distribution, demanding vocal requirements, and high production costs make it less ideal for some high school theater programs, especially those seeking a more contemporary or inclusive approach.