It will be a school year of spotlights for students at Murray High as the theatre department is already rehearsing countless hours and performing its 2025-26 season — and anticipates packed houses in their upcoming shows.

The season kicked off in late September with its Shakespeare Showcase, which also served as the final rehearsal before the advanced theatre/directing class headed to the 49th annual Utah Shakespeare High School Festival in Cedar City. In addition to individual events, they performed their vignette of “St. Crispin’s Day” taken from “Henry V.”

“We invited MHS alum Rhyann Harman (who was a member of the school’s dance company and drill team) to choreograph our battle and it is looking amazing,” said director Alexie Shaffer.

Next up, more than 90 students are involved performing, dancing or behind the scenes in the school musical, “Once upon a Mattress.” 

The show will be performed at 7 p.m., Nov. 7-8 and again, Nov. 10-11. There also is a 2 p.m. Nov. 8 matinee. All performances will be on the school stage, 5440 S. State St. Tickets are available online at buyyourtix.com.

“Fairytales are for all ages and this high-energy retelling of ‘The Princess & The Pea’ has a little bit of everything for everyone. This show had a recent revival on Broadway and it such a happy-ending, feel-good kind of show,” said Shaffer, who was “elbow deep” in fittings of the costumes she was making.

Following the fall musical, the thespians will put on “Little Shop of Horrors” at 7 p.m., Feb. 5-7, and again, Feb. 9-10, 2026 in the Little Theatre. There also will be a 2 p.m., Feb. 7 matinee. Tickets are available at buyyourtix.com.

“This is our student-directed musical,” Shaffer said. “This show will be double cast and we are renting some amazing puppets from Sandy Arts Guild to help us bring this dark comedy to life.”

The spring play, “Radium Girls,” is a gripping drama based on the true story of U.S. Radium Corporation female watch dial painters who suffered and died from radium poisoning. Shaffer said they were instructed to finely point their brushes by molding the bristles with their lips while using radium-based paint during the efforts of WWI.

“The history and truth of the story really hit home,” she said.

“Radium Girls” will be performed at 7 p.m., April 29-May 2, 2026.

There also will be four improvisation shows throughout the year and the Spartans will host the annual SLAAPfest event in March. SLAAPfest includes invitations to about one-half dozen schools to perform together and be judged by local professional troupes.

For more information on performances and showcases, follow murrayhigh_theatre_dept on Instagram as well as search the events calendar on the school website, mhs.murrayschools.org.