Corner Canyon’s 6A state theatre champions are bringing a little magic to the stage this season.

It kicks off Oct. 1 with a free Shakespeare showcase at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium, 12943 S. 700 East. The event will preview the work of about 90 theatre, choir and dance students who are headed to the 49th annual Utah Shakespeare High School Festival in Cedar City. A special performance also will be held for advanced middle school theatre students.

The Shakespeare team will compete with Act 1 Scene 4 from “Richard III”—known as “Clarence’s Dream”—where the Duke of Clarence recounts a vision of his own death, drowned at the hands of his brother Gloucester.

“Case (Hamilton) is going to direct; he was drawn to it,” said theatre teacher and director Phaidra Atkinson. “He will have two characters on stage and then, everybody else in the ensemble will act out his dream.”

The students also will compete in scenes and monologues, dance and Tech Olympics.

“It’s magical for kids to break down all the text to understand what Shakespeare is saying and to deeply research the characters, because Shakespeare does a lot of heightened character work. This helps students because once they tackle Shakespeare, they can take those skills and put them into other performances, which makes them better performers. Plus, they love collaborating as a team, seeing creativity come together and being there supporting other students perform Shakespeare,” she said.

The fall musical, “Mary Poppins,” runs at 7 p.m., Nov. 13-15 and Nov. 17, with a 1 p.m. Saturday matinee. Tickets are $10 online at cornercanyontheatre.com or $12 at the door.

While the beloved character typically flies on stage, Atkinson said their production will take a fresh approach.

“We're being creative how we're going to move her and we're excited about the talent we have. It's a loved musical with catchy music and fun dancing—they'll be tapping ‘Step in Time,’” she said.

The cast, which is one of the school’s largest, includes 62 fifth through seventh graders in a youth ensemble and 22 Draper eighth graders performing with the Corner Canyon cast, Dance Company and orchestra pit members.

“We hope they gain new friends, an appreciation for hard work and the ability to collaborate, learn time management and problem solve. They're also gaining the opportunity to perform in front of an audience and be rewarded for their hard work,” Atkinson said.

Next, two seniors will direct the student-directed showcase, free to the public, at 7 p.m., Dec. 5-6 in the Little Theatre. 

In the spring, thespians will prepare “The Fortress” for region competition with school performances at 7 p.m., March 4-5, 2026. Tickets are $5.

The story holds its own kind of magic.

“It's about a boy who learns he's adopted by accident, and he didn't know he was adopted. Superman is his favorite hero, so the story is about him trying to find the Superman within him to overcome the kryptonite of being adopted and how that's affected his life,” she said about the play where after he retreats into solitude, he finally lets in his friend who helps him rebuild his life. “This show is lighter, with comedy, and has themes of how we deal with things that come our way which are unexpected.”

The ensemble competes at regionals March 12, with individual pieces on March 19, 2026. State is April 16-18, 2026.

The season closes with “Hadestown,” 7 p.m., May 7-9, 2026. Tickets are $10 in advance online or $12 at the door.

“We picked ‘Hadestown’ because students love it; if they could do anything in the world, they would want to do ‘Hadestown.’ They love the music, the mythology, the different characters who are interesting to play. It’s fun for them,” she said about the 26-member productions class.

This summer, about 30 students traveled to New York City to see six or more Broadway shows and take in the sights. Many of them are part of the 70-member drama club, which participates in socials, service projects and will attend five Pioneer Theatre Company productions this year.

Students also will attend the Utah Theatre Association’s DramaCon in Cedar City, participating in workshops and seeing performances.