Newell-Fonda Students Bring Fairy Tale Twists to Stage This Weekend

Sixty-plus students filled the Newell-Fonda stage last weekend, staging three separate fairy-tale productions across two nights under the direction of teachers Kayla Wingert, Beth Olsen and Andrew Schertz.

The middle school ensemble opened with "What Happened After Once Upon a Time" by Alexi Alfieri, led by Willa Black, Chloe Suhr and Macy Vanderhoff in storyteller roles. The high school added two productions to the bill: "The Fairy Tale Network" by John Woodard, featuring Rowyn Nielsen as Goldilocks, and "If the Shoe Fits, Buy It!" by Michelle Raskey, with Leah Gauley as Cinderella. Both nights ran at 7 p.m. on March 27 and March 28 at the Newell-Fonda school facilities.

The size of the combined cast, more than 60 named participants spanning acting, crew and technical roles, reflects a program built around inclusion rather than selectivity. High school students handled the backstage operations as well as the spotlight, taking charge of lights, stage crew and production logistics. Those crew positions carry real weight: running a live, multi-script production demands the same coordination and problem-solving that employers and college programs look for, and Newell-Fonda students were building those skills in front of a full auditorium.

Three scripts staged over two evenings also signals something meaningful about the condition of the arts program here. A single production requires significant planning; presenting two high school pieces alongside a middle school show requires a department committed to giving as many students as possible a stake in the outcome. In a small district where students, staff and families know each other by name, that kind of visible investment in the performing arts carries real weight for student engagement and school identity.

With more than 60 names in the playbill, the audience almost certainly included a cross-section of the entire school community. For Newell-Fonda's theater program, that is the point: every family on the cast list is also a family in the seats.