For 92 Novembers, each class of students at Rice Memorial High School, a small Catholic high school in northern Vermont, have competed in Stunt Nite, vying to claim the top prize. Started as a way to share some of the many hidden talents of the students in school, the event now features four 25-minute musical plays, one done by each grade in the high school.  

With story lines that vary from haunted houses to Alice’s visit to the Cafeteria in Wonderland, to finding a brother lost inside a video game, each class presentation includes acting, ensemble and solo singing, dance numbers, a class band, sparkling sets and interesting costumes. Two performances are held in the local theater where two shows are sold out, the audience filled with parents, supporters and many, many alums who come back to town specifically to see this year’s Stunt Nite and to brag about their class’ winning efforts. 

Rehearsals begin in early November and each class receives the same amount of rehearsal time, same access to school facilities, and the same number of parents and teachers, directors and supporters to keep it as fair as possible. Students are encouraged to bring their own talents to the auditions so that whatever they can do can be incorporated into the class script.  

Featuring everything from gymnastics and opera arias to ballerinas, ukulele playing and Irish Step Dancing, each presentation also includes actors, two or three vocal soloists and several large dance numbers, done to rock, jazz, classical or modern, provided in recordings or by the class band. 

More than 85 percent of the 375 students in the school participate each year and because the backstage of the theater is so small, each class is bussed to and from the school to the theater, in costume, in time to have their moment on the stage. Self-funded through ticket sales, Stunt Nite has its own instruments, staging, makeup and costumes for each class to use as needed.  

The post-event party at school includes food and friendship, but most importantly, the Stunt Nite awards, where first and second places are given for various categories including Acting, Dance Numbers, Class Band, Vocal Performances and, most importantly, Class Performance, typically won by the seniors. However there are two classes – the class of 1949 and the class of 1990 – that won Stunt Nite all four of their years at Rice. 

Students come away from this event with more self-confidence, more enthusiasm for school and more friends than they thought possible. A primary reason for the bonds created by each class is that Stunt Nite provides a chance for any and all to shine with whatever gifts and talents they have to share. And for the winners, bragging rights for every Stunt Nite to come.

This article first appeared in the January 2023 edition of High School Today