Fort Collins High School theater selected for ThesCon

Anticipation filled the air before the opening notes of the musical “Chicago” rang out across a sea of nearly 5,000 people in the audience. Cast members, musicians and crew might have felt a little nervous before performing, but excitement won out in the end.

A crowd of so many might sound intimidating, but Fort Collins High School theater students didn’t let stage fright get to them on Dec. 2, 2022, when they performed at the Bellco Theatre in Denver, Colorado.

FCHS theater was chosen as a mainstage selection for the Colorado State Thespian Conference, or ThesCon for short. They were one of two schools in the state to perform on the main stage at the Bellco Theatre and the only musical.

“For me personally, it was pretty terrifying,” said Erin Dangerfield, a junior and trumpet player in the pit orchestra. “For all of us as musicians — as high school musicians — this was the biggest performance we have ever done, and for most of us, probably the biggest performance we will ever do.”

Any school in Colorado can apply to be a mainstage selection, and for FCHS, this was their fifth attempt in the last five years. In 2022, they were not only selected for this honor for the first time, but they were the first high school in Poudre School District to have a ThesCon mainstage performance.

“Performing ‘Chicago’ at ThesCon was a surreal, magical, beautiful, unbelievable experience and I couldn’t have been prouder or more honored to have shared it with these musicians, technicians, actors, and colleagues,” said Jason Tyler, the FCHS theater teacher. “It will forever be a highlight of my career.”

Although many students joked this was the show that would never end and said they were a little tired of hearing “And All That Jazz,” this show means so much to those who participated.

“We had three closing nights,” said Avery Smith, a senior who played the character Mona. “Even though we were getting kind of tired of it, it was still a thing we never wanted to officially let go because we had made so many memories, and it was such an incredible experience for all of us.”

Fossil Ridge, Poudre and Rocky Mountain high schools also attended ThesCon. Fossil Ridge students performed during the opening ceremony, and one student performed onstage during the Critic’s Choice Showcase at the closing ceremony. Students from Poudre participated in Individual Events, which are opportunities for students to receive constructive feedback from industry professionals. In various categories, 13 students received excellent or superior ratings. Those students with superior ratings qualified to present at the International Thespian Festival in June.