Two schools. 60 total actors. Three miles. One common goal-to put on the best Maize community play they possibly can.

Maize and Maize South are performing Legally Blonde this coming February, bringing together actors and actresses for the first time in nearly a decade.

Maize High drama teacher Kathleen Barbara believes that it was the right time to bring together the drama groups from both schools for money and supervision purposes.

“We have kind of a fewer people here that are wanting to do musicals and things right now, and also musicals are expensive so it really just makes a lot of sense to combine resources,” Barbara said. “It’s also nice to have more than one adult helping with the musical because it’s such a big project.” 

When putting together a show, Barbara knows it will take patience and both acting groups to come together for the common goal.

“It takes everyone in the cast and the crew and all of the production staff just to be really  dedicated and they have to put that particular activity towards the front of everything they do, but it’s a temporary situation as I tell everyone,” Barbara said. 

Students will have to learn to prioritize their working skills by putting in dozens of hours  outside of school, learning their lines and becoming a team regardless of their school.

“It’s very intense and you do have to make it a priority, but it’s only a priority for a couple of months, so it’s a temporary thing, but that’s kind of what it takes to do something this big and this hard,” Barbara said.

Out of all of the options, Barbara chose a production to include the large amount of female actresses that both schools currently have in their program.

“Well Legally Blonde, we have a lot of girls that are strong singers and actors at both Maize South and here [Maize High], and Legally Blonde is a musical that showcases women more than men, so I thought it would be a good choice, and it has some name recognition as well,” Barbara said. 

Junior Jovi Garcia knows the dedication that it takes to put together a big show and what all goes into it as Brooke, Ell’s friend that goes on trial for murder in the play.

“A lot of patience, energy, and soft skills go into a production,” Garcia said. “It’s physically and mentally challenging. There are going to be long days and there are going to be times when you repeat a scene or song number over and over again.” 

Seniors can be helpful role models when putting in the time and effort needed to bring the show together for younger or newer staff members.

“The seniors have always had a place in my heart,” Garcia said. “They have been such good role models for me. It will be difficult having to be a leader for the underclassman when they leave.”

During the month of December and the beginnings of the show, the cast is working on initial read throughs of the script and getting comfortable with their lines.

 “I am a little bit nervous for the amount of things I have to do to prepare for this show,” Garcia said. “I have to work around other events, which can be very difficult sometimes.” 

Many students want to participate in the musical but have zero interest in being on stage and in the spotlight. For these cast members, they work on creating backstage props, hair, and makeup.

“People who don’t act usually help with staging, lights, sound, makeup, costumes, hair, set design, and whatever else we need for the show,” Garcia said.

For Barbara, deciding the cast and making final calls for important cast members was the most difficult part of getting started with the play.

“We are looking to cast around 60 people,” Barbara said. “I think the hardest part is that there’s usually more than one person, and it’s just really hard to disappoint people and hard to make a final decision. You break hearts temporarily, and that’s just a really hard thing to do, so that’s not the fun part.”

There’s no question that a rivalry will always exist with Maize High and Maize South, but Barbara is hoping this show creates a change in perspective.

“I think that we kind of have a famous rivalry with Maize South, but what I really want to do is, I want to create something with all of us together,” Barbara said. “There’s no better way to bring groups of people together than theatre, than to do a show with them.”