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The Covington County Schools Collaborative Arts program is set to begin work on its upcoming production of “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical” scheduled for February 14-16, 2025, at the Straughn School Auditorium.

Auditions begin next week for students in fourth through twelfth grades. Students not only perform all roles, but high school students are also in charge of designing and building the set, creating lighting plots, and even designing some of the costumes.

“Matilda” director Jennifer Withrow is preparing for next week’s auditions and is committed to providing as many arts opportunities as possible to students.

“Our hope with this project has been to offer students dance and movement-related experiences that they may not have access to in their regular school day. ‘Matilda’ is the perfect show to incorporate even more,” Withrow said. “This show is high energy and requires lots of movement. I’m excited for our high school dance students who have been taking dance for years to really shine and show off their technical skills. I can’t wait to see what they do, but I’m really excited to see younger students find a love for dance and increase their confidence through movement.”

In a project made possible by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, students have opportunities in dance and movement instruction with qualified dance instructors. One of those workshops had 30 participants.

Choreographer Melody Chen, a 2023 Pleasant Home graduate, is a student in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Troy University. Along with fellow Trojan Aleksandra March, the pair is excited to bring dance opportunities to the students of Covington County Schools.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my love for dance with young artists and expose them to a plethora of creative outlets within the dance industry,” Chen said.

Withrow is also seeking individuals interested in working with students during the day on a limited basis.

“Ultimately, I’d love to have a dance instructor in our community who would like to visit some of our PE classes at various schools to teach a few sessions of dance and movement,” she said.

Those interested should email jennifer.withrow@cov.k12.al.us.