Students from the middle and high school sections of Stonehill International School staged an energetic and thoughtfully executed version of the popular musical Footloose, drawing strong audience engagement across four public performances. The production, based on the 1984 film and featuring music by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford, aimed to balance youthful exuberance with the story’s underlying themes of grief, community tension, and generational dialogue.
The ensemble leaned into the musical’s central conflict, following Ren, a teenager who challenges a town’s long-standing restrictions on music and dance. Rather than treating the show purely as a crowd-pleaser, the student cast and crew appeared to frame it as a conversation about self-expression—an approach supported by the direction of Jason Gallant.
“I chose to stage Footloose the Musical because it’s a celebration of youth and movement and at its core it explores resilience and finding your voice,” Gallant explained, noting his long-standing engagement with theatre and commitment to helping students build confidence and community.
School leadership echoed the significance of the effort. Joe Lumsden, Head of School, highlighted the intensity of the preparation: “They all worked tirelessly on this performance for six months, staying overnight for lengthy rehearsals while keeping up with school work along the way.”
Technically, the production relied almost entirely on in-house talent. Students and teachers collaborated on set design, costumes, lighting, makeup, choreography, and music. This hands-on approach resulted in a production that, while not extravagant, demonstrated a clear emphasis on craft, teamwork, and the educational value of theatre.
The show closed with the musical’s well-known upbeat numbers—including “Footloose,” “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” and “Holding Out for a Hero”—bringing the audience to its feet and capping off a production that aimed to be as much about student growth as stage entertainment.
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