Shadle Park High School stages student-led ‘Footloose’

Shadle Park High School’s fall musical puts students in charge of a production of “Footloose,” set in Bomont, where dancing and rock music have been banned. The Spokane staging includes a vintage Ford pickup bed, roller-skating actors and the familiar songs that drive the story.

The musical follows Ren McCormack, a teenager who leaves Chicago for the Midwest suburbs after his father leaves the family. In Bomont, Ren discovers that the town pastor outlawed dancing and rock music after a tragic accident. He joins friends—including the pastor’s daughter, Ariel—to push back and bring music, dancing and prom back into their lives.

Senior Toby Beeghly directs and plays Rev. Shaw Moore after drama teacher Henry Seipp asked him to lead the show before the school year started. Senior Ethan Stewart leads the crew, handles stage lighting and built the set over about two months. Onstage, senior Theron Longmeier plays Ren, while Brooklyn Thompson portrays Ariel, whose story includes questioning her father’s views and falling for Ren. At a final Tuesday rehearsal, performers and crew worked through microphones, notes and bows while leaning on friendships built during the production.