On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, Cheyenne Little Theatre Players offered a special matinee performance of “Fahrenheit 451” for LCSD1 students. Students from Triumph, East, and South High School spent the afternoon watching a masterful performance of the play that was adapted from the novel of the same name by its author, Ray Bradbury. Students from the three schools had read the book in class recently or were in the process of reading it and took the opportunity to see how the novel was adapted to the stage.

Students had the opportunity to hear from the actors in the production and ask questions after the performance. Julia Stone, a student at Triumph High School, asked why this particular play was chosen to be performed. John Lyttle, director of the play as well as former teacher and administrator in LCSD1, responded that the play was adapted from the book Fahrenheit 451 which was his favorite book that he read in high school and that the themes and ideas in the play are at the forefront of societal and educational concerns in our lives right now. The actors shared many personal anecdotes that resonated with Mr. Lyttle’s comments on the importance of the play not only in general but also on a personal and local level.

Justin Earnshaw, English teacher at Triumph, mentioned that it was a fantastic opportunity to bring together students from multiple schools in order to facilitate deeper understanding and to gain new experiences that extend classroom learning beyond the school walls. He was enthusiastic about the students’ engagement from all the schools and was pleased with the questions that were asked during the Q and A session. Mr. Earnshaw remarked that one of the Triumph students was aghast at the amount of open flame the production employed.

“Fahrenheit 451” runs from November 10 – November 19 and continues 94 years of local theater put on by Cheyenne Little Theatre Players.