Stories That Soar Connects Wamsley Writers with RHS Performers

There are some stories that stay on the page.

And then there are stories that come to life, put on costumes, dance under stage lights, and make an elementary student whisper, “Whoa… that’s mine.”

That was the magic behind Stories That Soar! at Garfield Re-2 School District this spring, as students from Wamsley Elementary School partnered with drama students from Rifle High School to transform children’s writing into live theater.

Rifle High School partnered with the national literacy program, Stories That Soar!, and invited elementary students to submit original stories that were later adapted and performed by RHS Theater students.  Wamsley Elementary students submitted 244 stories. From dragons and soccer stars to friendship, heartbreak, and bravery, every story was read by the high school students before over 15 were selected for production.

For Rifle High School Performing Arts teacher Megan Liggett, the idea began more than a year ago at the Colorado State Thespian Convention.

“One of my students listened to the idea at ThesCon in 2024 and loved the idea,” Liggett said. “The concept of supporting literacy and a love for theatre in our younger students through authorship and devising was something I felt both my students and our younger community members could greatly benefit from.”

What audiences saw on stage was only a small part of the work.

Rifle High School students handled every aspect of the production process, including script writing, directing, acting, lighting, sound, and stage design. The project became the curriculum for the school’s Performing Arts class.

“We read every single one of them, and then everybody picked their top 10 stories,” said RHS senior Alice McDilda. “Each of us wrote two to three scripts, and then we presented them to the class. From there, we picked our favorite presentations, and that’s what we decided to perform.”

Liggett said the structure of the project pushed students beyond what a traditional theater production often requires.

“With a traditional production, it’s rare for high school performers to ever have to perform for the author of the play,” Liggett said. “There’s a certain amount of pressure to be authentic to the original story and do it justice when you know the author will be watching.”

That accountability transformed the work for many students.

“In the past, a lot of my performing arts students have struggled with the confidence to create, let go, and have the freedom to be silly on stage,” Liggett said. “This curriculum specifically supported original story creation by our elementary school students, and then required the high school students to create staged productions of those stories while remaining authentic to the original. The simple addition of some small person who was relying on these high school students to step outside their comfort zone and do the work added that little bit of extra motivation they needed to connect to the work and feel comfortable trying new things.”

The process of crafting the stories pushed Linneth Gomez beyond her comfort zone, as she wrestled with the creative work.

“I honestly started off really close-minded because I’m not a theater kid at all,” Gomez said. “I seriously considered dropping the class because I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ But I liked the experience. This is going to be something I’m obviously never going to forget about.”

The performances themselves ranged from hilarious to heartfelt.

One student's story centered on dragons because, as second-grader Zaid explained matter-of-factly, “They’re extinct.” Another focused on soccer because the author simply loved the sport. 

Fifth grader Maya wrote a Valentine’s Day story inspired by the feeling of sadness and rejection.

I really like writing. I can express myself in different ways,” Maya said.

When the curtains opened and the actors began performing her story, Maya immediately recognized it.

“It made me feel happy,” she said. “But inside I felt kind of scared because I didn’t know what they were going to say or do.”

As high school students sorted through the submissions, they quickly realized they were being trusted with more than funny childhood ideas. Many stories explored real emotions and experiences, including friendship struggles, fear, identity, and self-esteem.

“There were stories that were really deep,” McDilda said. “Even if we weren’t sure whether something really happened or not, it was still important to make sure they were told correctly.”

One of the most powerful moments came during a performance titled Bajo La Lluvia de Estrellas, which was performed in Spanish.

“There was a gasp that went out across the audience as Wamsley students realized it was being performed in Spanish instead of English,” Liggett said. “Representation in theatre is so incredibly important.”

For RHS junior Norah Scarpitti, the experience reinforced the power of storytelling itself.

“So many of these stories had kids taking something bad and trying to make it good. They want to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Scarpitti said. “It’s a lot of fun getting to know these kids through their stories, and the way that they share their personal experiences in these stories is very interesting to see. You get a broader view of these kids, especially from different schools and even outside Rifle, too. It gives these kids the opportunity to have fun writing.” 

Liggett hopes this is only the beginning.

“The idea that some of our Wamsley students could someday be the ones on stage, producing stories for future Wamsley students, is exciting,” she said. “I want this program to become something where kids across the district know about it, anticipate it, and can’t wait to participate.”

For those moments inside the Rifle High School theater last week elementary students discovered something powerful: Their voices mattered.