Patagonia Union High School is organizing its first theatrical production in almost four years, its own version of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” written and revised by English teacher Journee Hayes.
The students will perform the play at the Tin Shed Theater on April 29 and 30.
The play marks the first theatrical production since the fall of 2022, but the school’s drama program had already begun fading due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organized by more than 20 students across grade levels and directed by Hayes, the new show reflects months of lunchtime rehearsals and a student-driven revival of the performing arts on campus.
“They’ve given up their lunches for the last three months to come and practice,” Hayes said.
Although Hayes isn’t a drama teacher, she did minor in drama during college and has always appreciated the arts. She was also involved in the school’s last production, about four years ago, “Café Murder.”
Since then, there haven’t been any school plays; the drama program dissolved after COVID-19 led to staff departures and program changes.
“Things got weird because of COVID,” Hayes said. “It was a really rough time.”
Earlier this year, a group of students – including some who were involved in putting on “Café Murder” – approached Hayes about doing another production. With hopes of organizing their first performance since their freshman year, they helped recruit peers across all the high school grade levels to participate.
Luckily, Hayes, who was named Santa Cruz County Teacher of the Year for 2025, had already been working on something, a tweaked version of Romeo and Juliet, rewritten and framed for PUHS. Instead of feuding families, her version centers on feuding football teams.
Hayes admitted that, at first, she wasn’t sure if they’d manage to pull it off. “I thought, OK, I’ll give it a month, and we’ll see what happens.
“But they continuously show up,” she said. “They put everything into it.”
One of the original student organizers, 18-year-old senior Lenin Albarran, cast as Romeo, said, “We basically just told a bunch of people like, hey, you guys want to do this?”
According to Hayes, the high school students, particularly the upperclassmen, have been especially interested in Shakespeare’s plays and the arts in general.
“They love it when we read Shakespeare. They love to do acting and writing,” she said. “For our final projects every year, they do little scenes.”
Albarran, alongside a small group of fellow drama enthusiasts, was able to stir up enough excitement on campus “and now we have a play,” he said with a grin.
Some of Albarran’s recruits, Brianna Majalca and Jaxon Yslava, also seniors, have been cast to play the lead roles of Juliet and Coach Montague, respectively. Majalca largely credits Hayes for her involvement in the production.
“I love Mrs. Hayes,” she said. “She’s like a second mom to me, so everything that she does, I’m always involved in.”
Fellow student-actor Yslava says he’s enjoyed his part in rehearsals so far.
“I like the rivalry between the football teams,” he added. Yslava’s character is based on Shakespeare’s household patriarch Lord Montague, but in Hayes’ adaptation, he’s the coach of the football team.
Another student performer, 15-year-old freshman Sally Warren, says she loves the people she’s working with and is excited about the opportunity to perform again. Cast as Ms. Capulet – based on Shakespeare’s Lady Capulet – Warren has been involved in local theater since she was about 8. Although only a freshman, she’s even performed a paid role in a traveling production.
In addition to months of lunchtime rehearsals, Hayes said the theatrical event wouldn’t be possible without community partnerships. She specifically expressed gratitude to Cassina Farley for her help with venue support, and to Audrey Doles, owner of the Gathering Grounds, for her generous donation. The Gathering Grounds will provide appetizers and mocktails before each performance.
Hayes ran the students through a full rehearsal at the Tin Shed in late March.
“We’re not a drama class, and I’m not a drama teacher,” Hayes noted. “But this is going to be amazing.”
The PUHS version of “Romeo and Juliet” will be performed on Wednesday, April 29, and Thursday, April 30, at the Tin Shed Theater, located behind the Patagonia Arts Center, 304 Naugle Ave. The show starts at 6 p.m., but arrive an hour early for appetizers and mocktails made by Audrey Doles, a second-grade teacher at Patagonia Elementary School and owner of the Gathering Grounds. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at Patagonia High’s front office or at the theater door on performance nights. Seating is limited to 100; purchasing at the door does not guarantee a seat.