Alta High School's theatre department will stage five productions between September and May, giving Sandy families a full school-year arts calendar that ranges from Shakespeare to a student-written murder mystery.

The season opens with Night of Shakespeare at 6 p.m. on Sept. 30 at Alta High School. The ensemble piece draws from "Macbeth" and previews Alta's entry for the 50th annual Utah Shakespeare High School Festival competition in Cedar City. Theatre director Linze Struiksma, who co-wrote the script with colleague Lindsay McKinnon, said the production explores fate and accountability.

"We're going to play with fate a little bit — the witches' fate, and also with Macbeth's choice and accountability and how much he's given," Struiksma told the Sandy Journal.

The fall musical, "White Christmas," directed by theatre teacher Lindsey Cline, runs Nov. 18–21 and again Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. Cline spent part of the summer leading optional tap dance workshops for cast members. Tickets are $9 in advance through the Alta High website and $10 at the door. The Nov. 19 performance will feature the understudy cast.

Alta's annual Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre returns Dec. 11 with shows at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the school's Black Box Theatre. Senior Addilyn Covington, Alta's improv captain, is writing and directing the production. Proceeds from the fundraiser go toward props, equipment and other theatre resources.

The spring play, "Antigone," runs Feb. 17–20, 2027, under Struiksma's direction. The Greek tragedy will double as Alta's one-act competition piece, with region competition set for March 17–18, 2027, and state in April 2027.

The season closes May 6, 2027, at 6 p.m. with student-directed one-acts. Six student directors will each present a 10-minute play. Tickets are $5.

Struiksma, named Utah's 2025-26 Theatre Teacher of the Year on Aug. 25, is entering her 15th year leading the program. She said in an Aug. 25 Sandy Journal profile that her broader mission extends beyond performance skills: "My secret agenda is not to just make better actors … I want them to be better humans — people who are going to go be kind and make a difference in the world."

Struiksma said keeping prices low is intentional. "We want theater to stay accessible for people," she said.

Upcoming Alta High Theatre dates:

• Sept. 30 — Night of Shakespeare, 6 p.m.
• Nov. 18–21, 23 — "White Christmas," 7 p.m. ($9 advance / $10 door)
• Dec. 11 — Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre, 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Feb. 17–20, 2027 — "Antigone"
• May 6, 2027 — Student-directed one-acts, 6 p.m. ($5)