The school in Battle Ground does not have a stage, but the theater department is thriving due to the commitment of students, the theater director, and a supportive parent group, and all are cramming for opening night of Descendants: The Musical this week at Prairie High School

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

It has all the elements of a school play.

Students giving heart-felt performances. Students doing the behind-the-scenes work to bring the awe on the stage. Parents volunteering, helping with set design, marketing, and more. And a teacher who is the director, leading the way.

This is a school play.

Only it is not a typical school play.

River HomeLink Theater is preparing for opening night this week of Descendants: The Musical. The cast and crew have been preparing with all the challenges associated with students who are on an atypical schedule and a school that does not have a stage for rehearsal.

At a traditional high school, for example, there might be a regular schedule followed by four, five, or even six days a week of rehearsal after school — part of extracurricular activities.

River Homelink describes itself as a “family-friendly, accredited public school that provides a range of educational options for students living within the Battle Ground School District. Families can choose from part or full-time programs that provide home school, classroom, and independent study opportunities.”

The drama department consists of students who might only attend class on campus a couple times a week. They have different demands on their schedule. Oh, and those students only get two days a week to rehearse. They also don’t have a stage of their own, instead rehearsing in a gymnasium. 

This week, the cast and crew have moved all of their props and sets to Prairie High School, where they will perform Descendants: The Musical.

But up until this final week of prep, it was all done at River HomeLink, with all involved doing the best to prioritize their schedules in order to achieve a common goal.

“We’ve got to cram in everything we can in the two days we have” each week, said Averi Mason, a senior who will be playing Evie in the play and also is one of the play’s choreographers.

“You have to love it. There is so much effort,” said senior Jasmine Idsinga, who will be playing the fairy godmother. “There is a reason we do all of this work. There is a reason we all pitch in so much, because there is something special here.”

Rehearsing only two days a week does have some advantages, too.

“Since we have only two days a week, I feel like we cherish them more than if we came in every single day,” said Olivia Isse, a recent graduate who has returned to help the theater department as a choreographer. “We feel it is more valued.”

Isse had been a performer for years during her schooling with River HomeLink.

The days of rehearsal usually go from from 1:50 p.m. until 6 p.m. 

“We spend such a large chunk of time with each other. That’s really nice. You feel really close with everyone,” Idsinga said.

Leading this troupe and stage technicians is Sandy Sparks, director, theater teacher, and advisor at River HomeLink.

“I love the creative process. I love watching students grow in their self confidence,” Sparks said. “Theater helps build self confidence in people, on the stage and off the stage. I like seeing students try things they never thought they could do, singing and dancing in particular. I love breaking through the mold of ‘No, I could never do this.’”

They do this — perform plays — at least twice a year at River HomeLink. 

Again, they do this with no stage. They store their sets after each rehearsal.

Sparks and the students do not complain. In fact, they also have extra special help. The parents of theater students at River HomeLink are over-the-top terrific, the director said.

“I couldn’t do it without the parents. We have a huge parent base. They all just share their gifts,” Sparks said.

“I would actually choose the parents over having a stage.”

Instead, this theater group takes over a stage at a nearby school. For Descendants: The Musical, it will be Prairie High School.

“We have to work around a lot, but the outcome is always amazing,” Mason said.

Descendants: The Musical will have performances Dec. 5-6 and Dec. 12-13. For showtimes, tickets, and advance of the play, see our story from last month:  https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/entertainment/river-homelink-theatre-presents-descendants-the-musical/

The school and the theater department share a lot in common.

“It’s super wholesome and very supportive,” Idsinga said. “There is a unique flavor to River HomeLink as a whole. Parents have to be involved. It just makes the culture completely different. It’s very friendly, very wholesome, and very welcoming. That really spreads into theater. It’s an amazing experience.”