>>Trail of Hope CAST LIST<<

“Trail of Hope: A Stage Adaptation” directed by Dr. Anderson

“Trail of Hope” will portray the faith and hope of the Saints as they left their “City Beautiful.”  This immersive theater experience with allow students to research portray and testify of God’s love that can be felt as we endure the trials and tribulations of mortality.  Each cast member will portray an historical pioneer involved in the exodus from Nauvoo in 1846.   Combined, the stories teach of hope and faith and will allow students to share and develop their growing testimony of Jesus Christ.  A pair of narrators will open and close the show, with a steady flow of short vignettes that will roll across the stage and share experiences ranging from the comedic  10 year old, Edwin Alfred Pettit, who disguised himself as a girl so he could join his extended family on the trek west to the inspiring testimony of Jane Manning James as she tells of her conversion, trail to Nauvoo and her eventual exodus. The cast will comprise 15 principal speaking parts.  Two of the three of the characters, female, will also need to be able to sing.  There is no dancing, and some minimal choreography for some roles.  The program will run just under an hour in length and the plan is to double cast as many roles as possible.  There will be two shows per night.  A show that will start at 6 and allow for families with younger children to attend and another show starting at 8 pm each night.  Some instrumental musicians, violin, piano and flute, with provide musical underscore for the program.  Media will provide background support for each of the stories.  Students will engage in deepening their understanding of the period, practices and experiences of their characters by personal research and group discussion.  I am looking forward to sharing some of the “Spirit of Nauvoo” that I have come to love so much after having served for 5 summers as part of the Nauvoo Pageant Core Cast.

A full rehearsal schedule is available [HERE].

We seek to support all students who wish to participate in AHS extracurricular activities, regardless of their family’s financial situation. If financial constraints would prohibit your child from participating, we invite you to apply for financial aid using the confidential form below.

Extracurricular Program Application for Financial Aid

Role playing is a powerful mechanism for familiarizing oneself with important concepts. At American Heritage, acting out the lives and statements of great men and women familiarizes our students with true heroes worthy of their emulation. Students in grades K-12 are first, and routinely, afforded acting opportunities as part of their Core Classroom’s annual devotional: a pageant-style performance that demonstrates to parents, fellow students, and other audience members the interconnectedness of the history, literature, geography, gospel topics, and personal application covered during the year.

More formal exposure to drama comes in the eighth grade, when students perform a play as part of the school’s Shakespeare week. Students in grades 9-12 can then choose from among drama and stagecraft electives. All students in grades 9-12 can audition for the small-cast play in the Fall and the high school musical in the Spring.

As another example of our school’s efforts to promote well-rounded education opportunities, AHS offers classes in Technical Theater. Areas covered include set design and construction, stage lighting, sound design, and stage management. Students receive in-depth classroom instruction as well as hands-on experience. Training is given using the latest in sound and lighting consoles. Students who complete the program move on to college with experience running productions as well as programming and documentation.

The class is taught by our school’s technical director, Jay Clark, who has more than 40 years of professional theater experience, including 16 years as a cultural arts producer for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Classes are offered at both beginning and advanced levels.