Sam Barlow High School Theater revives “Hadestown” at state thespian festival

Bruin’s version of “Hadestown” selected to be performed at Oregon State Thespian Festival

The Sam Barlow Performing Arts Department was chosen to perform a revival of their "Hadestown" musical production at the Oregon State Thespian Festival. 

The original cast, crew, and band performed the entire production two times with full staging, set, costumes, and lights to audiences of over 1250 at the beautiful historic Elsinore Theater in Salem. 

Ten other high schools submitted their production for this prestigious opportunity, and Barlow was the first selected. 

It took hundreds of hours of complicated planning, two cars of hair and makeup supplies, a car full of costumes, a van full of theatrical lights, a truck with props and sound equipment, two 26ft trucks, and two 16 ft enclosed trailers of set pieces. 

In addition, there was endless love and dedication from students, the community, and parent volunteers.

The incredible cast and crew performed their hearts out to an incredibly responsive audience who leapt to their feet with standing ovations after both performances. 

Theater director Jeff Schroeder shared that during the final bows of the last performance, the students were sobbing with pride.

"We were incredibly humbled and honored by this experience. Theatre students and teachers are the best audience you could imagine,” said Schroeder. “This was a life-changing experience for everyone involved."

The next day, adoring high school fans, many in tears, told the Barlow students how much they loved the performance. Many stated, "It's the best show I've ever seen!"

The drama teachers who saw the performance also gave it rave reviews. Below is a sampling of their remarks-

"This was the best production I've ever seen at State." 

"I was trying not to break down sobbing in front of my students. Your kids were so good! They were adults up there!"

"This was NOT a high school musical! They were better than the Broadway show. Seriously."

"Your show set a new standard for what is possible for high school students in Oregon Thespians."

"This show changed 2000 kids' lives today."

The performances mark the end of the program’s incredible journey with the “Hadestown” production. From opening night to revivals in March and concluding with the performances at the state festival, the Barlow Drama Department has captivated the community with the Greek tale.