Theater season for Saint Joe may be over, but that doesn’t mean the theater kids are stopping anytime soon.

The infamous Clay High School is once again hosting the Summerfly program through the month of June!

They held auditions for this year’s show, The Prom, in March, and talented students from across the area, such as Mishawaka High, Penn High, and of course, from our own Saintt Joe!

During Summerfly, students get to bond with peers from other schools while rehearsing and then putting on a spectacular show at the end of the month, under the guidance of excellent performing arts teachers, dance teachers, and vocal coaches. It’s a valuable experience that helps kids experience a community theater program that’s a little different than what they do in their own schools’ performing arts programs.

Summerfly is a highly-praised program in the community, and has put on some fantastic shows in the past. One of their most notable ones came right after the COVID-19 quarantine, where they performed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. They had a lot fewer kids who auditioned than they had in previous years because of the COVID fears and restrictions, yet they were still able to put on a fantastic show. Last summer, they did The Drowsy Chaperone, which students from our school, including Elliot Mark, Franciska Vogel, and Katie Boyd participated in.

This year, despite the recent decision to close Clay High in the near future, Summerfly is still set to go on, and the program has not weakened a bit. This year’s cast is full of promising talent, and our own Elliot Mark and Franciska Vogel are once again returning to Clay’s stage to help put on this show. Margaux Hannewyk (Oh hey, that’s me.), Olivia Klein, and Kayla Lisenkok are also first-timers in this show’s cast.

The Prom is a more modern, radical musical that follows four washed-up Broadway actors who struggle with narcissism and their deteriorating reputations, as they travel to the conservative town of Edgewater, Indiana, to help a lesbian student banned from bringing her girlfriend to high school prom. This comedic show is a lot of fun, and promotes an endearing message about acceptance.

So, if you’re a musical theater enjoyer looking for a fun show to watch this Summer, be sure to keep an eye out for Summerfly! The show’s performance dates are June 29, June 30, and July 1!