For some students, sports are their life. Others are passionate about things like Student Council or Scholar’s Bowl. But some Maize and Maize South students spend their free time on stage. These students love to be involved in theater in any way they can.
Maize High sophomore Lucas Gordon explains why he participates in both school theater and Christian Performance Theatre, a local, faith-based theater company for ages 8-18.
“I love doing theater so much,” Gordon said. “The more I can do it, the more I will. I like having two different communities. I like having multiple groups of people I can go to to show talent and perform.”
Christian Performance Theatre (CPT) puts on two large-scale shows a year, as well as ten-week classes throughout the year and week-long summer day camps. Currently the group is rehearsing for Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” which will be performed on October 24-26. Gordon plays the role of the Beast, which he names as his favorite role so far, as the songs fit in his vocal range well and he has enjoyed getting to know his castmates in the show. Lucas recommends CPT to anyone who has strong faith.
“Every Saturday they do worship songs and devotionals and before lunch we pray,” Gordon said. “So if you’re very close to God, Christian Performance Theater is your place. [But] if you’re not, it’s still your place.”
Marley Vest, Maize High senior, is involved in school theater, Music Theater Wichita and Stage Lights Theater Company, a faith-based community theater that puts on a large-scale show every summer, and is a creative outlet for ages 8 to 23.
“School theater compared to community theater is so different,” Vest said. “And of course, there are pros and cons to both, but I genuinely love having two places to perform, mainly because of like, friend groups outside of school, I can meet new people.”
Vest was involved in “Les Miserables” over the summer of 2024, and lists “Newsies” as her favorite show with the group, which was performed in July of 2022. Vest played the role of Katherine Plumber.
“It was my first leading role,” Vest said. “I never had a lead role before, so I jumped straight from ensemble to lead… [and] I made some really good friends. My friend Elijah, who played Jack Kelly, has become one of my closest friends.”
Vest recommends Stage Lights because of not only the quality of the productions, but the way that the cast feels like family and will support each other no matter what.
Maize South High junior Clara Stover-Brown spends her evenings rehearsing with Education Academy, previously called Music Theater for Young People, which is a subdivision of Music Theater Wichita for ages 12-18. She also discusses life-long relationships made and fun times had in community theater.
“In about fifth grade, I was in “Peter Pan”… and the owner [of the company], her name was Ms. Kim, and she was very strict on food, like bringing food into Century II,” Stover-Brown said. “And one time, one of my friends brought her laundry basket full of clothes, and in the middle of all her stuff, she brought a Party Pack of Taco Bell tacos… and we all had so many tacos and [Ms. Kim] never found out.”
Stover-Brown has been involved in Music Theater Wichita (MTW) since third grade. Her favorite role was ‘Sandy Cheeks’ in “SpongeBob the Musical,” which she says was not a show she expected to like, but she was pleasantly surprised. She recommends MTW because it’s a very professional setting, and a good way to catch a glimpse of the behavior necessary to pursue theater professionally. However, she would like people to know that even though MTW can seem intimidating, it’s a place for everyone and there’s no reason to not sign up for the next show.
Maize High senior, Grace Jerke, began her theater debut when she was five years old in the company that her mom began, Triple Threat Theater. Triple Threat Theater (TTT) has two groups, the junior group (grades 2-9) and the senior group (grades 9-12).
Each group puts on two shows a year, and during the summer there are week-long day camps for the juniors. Jerke played the Genie in “Aladdin” in 2021, which she lists as her favorite role.
“It was the first role I was given where I got to be silly and funny, and I got to use my face a lot and… improvise what I could,” Jerke said. “And it was really cool to be able to portray that character. Hopefully Robin Williams approves.”
Jerke recommends the company to everyone, saying that even if you can’t sing, act, or dance, that TTT is a first come, first served group and that you can sign up just to gain experience and make friends.
“Theater settings have always been where I feel the most accepted, so the more the merrier,” Stover-Brown said. “The more theater groups that I can be a part of, the more people with the same passion that I’ll get to meet so I can have more friends with the same values.”
