With  months of auditioning and practicing under their belts, students from Highland Home School will dive into the world of of theater as they present “Villain School” by Brian D. Taylor.

Students in grades eight through 12 began auditioning for their parts back in September, and now they eagerly await the curtain call, which will be this Friday and Saturday beginning at 6:30 p.m.

“Performing arts is such a great elective to offer in schools. There are so many students who are passionate about the arts. Having this program allows those students to find their place to shine at school,” said Jaci Rials, performing arts teacher at HHS.

Since the beginning, Rials has enjoyed seeing the students grow more and more involved in the process of preparing, and she is thrilled to see that the students are excited to be involved. Rials believes that their hard work and dedication will pay off greatly, and that the students will truly bring their characters to life.

“They have worked so hard and it has made me so proud to watch them mature and improve over the past few months. I’ve been able to watch such diverse students work together to become one cohesive group,” said Rials. “It has also been a lot of fun getting to know these students and their personalities outside of the classroom.”

According to Rials, the play is sure to entertain a wide variety of audiences because of its family-friendly content and references to familiar storybook villains.

“Everyone loves a good villain, and in “Villain School”, your entire cast gets the fun of playing the bad guy or girl,” said Rials. “The Villains’ Institute for Learning Evil (V.I.L.E.) is where all the famous storybook villains go to learn their wicked ways.”

The play begins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 8, and again on Saturday, Jan. 9.

Doors will open for seating at 5:45 p.m. and the play will be held in the HHS auditorium. Light concessions will be available, and tickets can be purchased from Rials before the performance or at the door upon arrival. Tickets will be $5 and all proceeds will go towards the theater program at HHS.