'It's important to be here': Greensburg Salem musical program rebounds from dip in participation

Across his seven years of musical theater experience, Greensburg Salem senior Wesley Heverly has watched himself and his castmates grow as actors, vocalists and dancers.

“It’s really incredible to see how far everyone has come and grown throughout this whole process,” said Heverly, one of the district’s high school students performing “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” Friday to Sunday.

“It’s just really cool to see how being around the people you belong with can change who you are, in a good way.”

As Heverly and his castmates have developed their acting chops, the high school musical program, itself, has rebounded from a dip in participation in the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic.

Longtime director Sue Glowa said the program amassed about 60 students in the cast and crew in 2020 before dropping to 20 in the school’s 2021 livestream production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

A 34-person cast managed the 70 roles of “Les Miserables” in 2022, and there were fewer than 35 cast and crew members the two following years.

“Numbers just kind of plummeted,” Glowa said.

Program sees growth, support from district

Now the program has rebounded to 70 participants — including 33 high schoolers, 18 elementary students in the children’s choir, six live orchestra performers and an 11-person stage crew.

With 18 freshmen and only 10 outgoing seniors, Glowa expects additional growth is on the horizon.

Building relationships with elementary and middle school students has played a role in the program’s expansion, said choreographer and assistant director Leyna Wright.

Once the students wrap up their show at the high school, middle school musical director Marissa Auer invites them to help with stage crew for the 6th to 8th grade show.

And despite not having their own musical program, elementary students can audition to be part of the children’s choir in the high school production, Wright said.

“Now, they’re getting the experience of what the high school shows are like. So maybe those 18 (elementary) kids, in a couple years, will come right back up,” she said, noting this is the largest children’s choir in her memory.

The district has also backed the program, spending nearly $58,000 in December to replace the high school auditorium’s outdated, unreliable sound system.

The high school last year opened to theater students its varsity letter award — traditionally given to select athletes and marching band members — said musical boosters president and Wesley Hevery’s mother, Ryann.

“I think another really cool thing about it is you’re not just seeing kids who are going to pursue this in the future,” Ryann said. “These are kids who are going to want to be doctors, lawyers, teachers.

“They’re using this as their platform to hopefully build confidence.”

Actors voice importance of arts

It is essential for high school students to have a musical program available to them, said freshman actor Lily Clark.

“Sports are a different thing, in my opinion,” she said. “Some people are more artistic and creative, and this is a way to use all that energy and put it out in a positive format. I just think arts are really needed, because some people are different.”

Though arts programs have historically seen cuts due to budget troubles at school districts across the country, art education may be on the rise in Pennsylvania.

Of the more than 1.7 million students enrolled in K through 12 schools across the state in 2023, nearly 1.2 million participated in art programs, according to the latest available data from the state Department of Education.

That’s a more than 3% increase from 2022.

But nearly 14% of the state’s 500 public schools did not offer arts programs in 2023, according to the Education Department.

“Some people don’t have a place to express themselves freely, so this is a place that is safe,” said sophomore actor Magee Heverly, Wesley’s sister.

“It’s important to be here,” she said. “You’re important, and you’re needed.”

Greensburg Salem High School will perform “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, as well as 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The show puts a twist on the biblical figure Joseph, his father, Jacob, and his 11 brothers, whose story is told in the book of Genesis.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at gsdrama.booktix.com until two hours before each show time.