For years, Watershed students Ada ’26 and Ray ’26 have been asking the same question: What if Watershed had a theater company?
The idea was a hope years ago, the seeds planted when Ada pitched a student-run improv club as part of the Watershed after-school clubs program. Along the way, both Ada and Ray have been heavily involved in theater outside of Watershed: Ray through Centaurus High School’s theater program and Ada through the AAPA (Actors Academy for the Performing Arts) in Boulder.
This year, they finally decided it was time to make their idea a reality.
When the opportunity to build out Bay C space emerged, Ray took the lead. She approached Bridget, upper school division head, with a simple pitch: “Let’s make it happen.” Ada and Ray even helped design the floor plan for the new Black Box Theater, imagining what the space could eventually become.
And now, the Watershed Theater Company is officially underway.
A new space - and a new teacher
The launch of the Theater Company comes alongside another exciting addition to Watershed’s performing arts program: new performing arts teacher Katie Wise.
Katie’s son joined Watershed last year, and she was surprised to discover that the school didn’t yet have theater or music programs. With a background in theater performance from Pomona College, followed by training at an acting conservatory in London and several years performing improv in Los Angeles, Katie saw an opportunity to help build something new.
She began conversations with Bridget and Tracy (Interim Head of School) about bringing performing arts to Watershed, with the new Black Box Theater at the center of the vision. This year, that vision is becoming a reality, with the goal of creating a performing arts program that could grow alongside the students.
This semester, eight students are diving into one of Watershed’s newest courses, Theater Performance, while seven middle school students are building their skills in Improv. These classes are helping lay the groundwork for the new Theater Company, giving students a chance to explore performance while also building the skills, ideas, and community that will shape future productions. And the Theater Company is open to everyone, across all grades and regardless of experience.
There’s a role for everyone
One of the most exciting things about the Theater Company is that being part of it doesn't necessarily mean being onstage.
The group already has students interested in acting, but there are also opportunities in costumes, props, set design, lighting, tech, stage management, and more. Becky, a Watershed math educator, is even interested in helping students explore the technical side of theater.
At a recent Club Fair, Ada and Ray set up a table and invited students to fill out an interest form. More than 20 students expressed interest, a sign that there is plenty of enthusiasm for bringing theater to Watershed.
This semester, Katie, Ada, and Ray are getting to know the students who are interested and learning more about what they want to create. The goal is to build the company around those interests.
“We want to do what the company wants to do in terms of performance. We’ll make it work for people.” - Ray ’26
Eventually, the group hopes to meet weekly after school, building toward a production schedule where rehearsals become more frequent during tech and show week.
From skits to Shakespeare, and everything in between
For now, Theater Performance students are working on skits and building their skills, with hopes of taking on a full-stage production once the Black Box Theater is ready.
Looking further ahead, the possibilities are wide open: one-act plays, full-length plays, musicals, and even some less conventional theater challenges. One exciting idea is a 24-hour theater challenge: students would spend a Friday night and Saturday creating a performance from scratch, culminating in a show Saturday evening.
The long-term dream? Putting on a play and a musical each year.
When asked what their dream productions might look like someday, Shakespeare came up more than once. For Ada, that's part of what makes Shakespeare so exciting: the stories can be reimagined in countless ways.
“You can take Shakespeare and make it whatever you want,” she says.
Katie is equally excited about the possibilities for musical theater. One of her favorites, for example, is Into the Woods, in part because it offers roles for performers of many different ages.
But before any of those productions take the stage, the Theater Company is focused on something simpler: building a community of students who want to make things together.
And they're already seeing what happens when students are willing to try something new.
“There’s a student right now in the theater class who has never done any theater, and he’s thriving!” Katie says. “It’s worth jumping in and giving it a try.”
At Watershed, that spirit of curiosity is at the heart of learning, and now, it’s taking the stage.
