by Bailey Matteson, Finley Fallstrom and Kaitley Petersen
When you enter room 617, you are no longer in an ordinary classroom, but rather a stage full of infinite possibilities. Mrs. Tricia Schultz is a phenomenal teacher who supports the arts and encourages her students to shine in their own way. Mrs. Schultz also helps her students discover how they can be creative directors of their own dreams as well as become artists of their lives. Her classroom fosters a welcoming and accepting environment that’s safe for all aspiring artists to thrive in. In her theatre culture, students become a family with the shared passion to create and innovate. The stage of infinite possibilities goes beyond creative measure, allowing students to grow authentically as individuals. Alongside the guidance of Mrs. Schultz, the students can see the stage not only as an escape from themselves in becoming someone else, but also to let their authentic selves start driving their creativity on stage. Read along to learn more about Mrs. Schultz and how she discovered her passion for teaching the magical ways of theater.
Act One
The story unfolds in Farmington, New Mexico where Mrs. Schultz grew up. Little did she know that the future love of her life - Mr. Schultz - lived only a block away from her. She attended New Mexico State University where she was a proud Aggie and finished her masters. With Mr. Schultz by her side, they left the comfort of New Mexico to explore living in sunny Arizona. What drove her to become a teacher is she wanted to do something that was theatre related, but she also wanted a stable job and being a teacher allowed her to do just that. Both of her parents were educators; her mother was a teacher and so was her father – he was also an administrator. She got inspiration to pursue education from them.
Mrs. Schultz has been teaching for 29 years. Her first six years of teaching were at Millennium High School, which was titled Agua Fria North Campus during the first three years. She started the drama club at Millennium and also started the one at Estrella Foothills. Mr. Schultz was at Estrella Foothills when it first opened, and Mrs. Schultz began teaching there the year after. Mrs. Schultz has a plethora of classes that she teaches at EFHS including Intro to Theatre, Acting 1 and 2, Directing, Senior Theatre Studio, and Tech 1, 2, and Tech Practicum. Mrs. Schultz has been the advisor of Drama Club for 23 years and the advisor for SkillsUSA Tech Theatre for 13 years.
Intermission
Additionally, Mrs. Schultz is dedicated to running another artistic night on campus where talent reigns on the stage. The talent show was introduced in 2016 and has taken place most years since then, including each of the past three consecutively. It’s the night of the year when the stars and artists of EFHS get to show off their infinite possibilities in the Performing Arts Center. The stage is the canvas and the students are the painters.
The Show Must Go On
Ten years ago, one of the craziest moments Mrs. Schultz experienced as a theatre director occurred …
It’s dark. The stage has only a few actors and havoc is wreaking on the left side of the stage. It’s a fight of brooms and bustling feet versus a thousand tiny little monsters. Yep, that’s right, every actor’s worst nightmare, a spider egg sac burst on stage. What was supposed to be the best night of their lives turned into the worst possible scenario, but the students took the phrase “the show must go on” to heart and dealt with the infestation like the pros they are. Miraculously, no one was harmed and a parent even told Mrs. Schultz it was their best show yet. The actors will certainly never forget this memorable night …
Until the next nightmare, au revoir! See you later spiders!
Prologue
The very first production ever put on at EFHS (a compilation of Shakespearean works) was performed outside in the school amphitheater next to the office because back then the PAC did not yet exist. Students had to be a little more creative in how they showcased their infinite possibilities, but they managed to pull it off without a stage. Students were lucky enough to host “The Importance of Being Earnest” during the spring in the Cafenasium. As the theatre department grew and the actors became more passionate, winter shows were added to allow for even more artistic expression on stage. Mrs. Lees was Mrs. Schultz’s first directing assistant during the first few years of production for EFHS.
The Highs and The Lows
Mrs. Schultz has had many positive experiences in her career as a theater teacher, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t had her fair share of negative experiences as well. The hardest part of being a teacher for Mrs. Schultz is some of the things that happen outside of being a teacher.
“There are a lot of expectations on teachers that have nothing to do with actually being able to teach,” she said. “And sometimes those things get so overwhelming and time consuming that it’s hard to get back into the business of teaching.”
The best part of teaching for Mrs. Schultz is the connections she makes with her students.
“Oh, the kids, 100%. I love my students,” Mrs. Schultz said. “That’s why we all teach, because if you don’t love your students, if you don’t love your kids, why bother?”
She encourages anyone with the drive and passion for teaching to enter the world of education because the kids overcome all the stress of teaching.
Act Two
For teachers, summer isn’t nearly as restful as it is for students. Over summer, Mrs. Schultz is involved with curriculum writing and planning for the next school year, she organizes and attends SkillsUSA Nationals with the students who qualify, and she oversees rentals of the PAC when events are held there over the break. With the free time she does have, she visits family and friends, and if given the chance to squeeze it in, her and Mr. Schultz travel together.
The Year We All Love to Ignore
2020 was a literal emotional rollercoaster for Mrs. Schultz and her theatre students. For an environment that thrives on being in person, how could they possibly pursue their love for acting? Well, unfortunately the spring play in 2020 “The Idiot’s Guide to High School” was never performed because when the cast was off for spring break they never came back because school was shutdown due to the COVID pandemic. Returning back in fall, Mrs. Schultz was determined to do her best to still provide the outlet of artistic expression for her students, even if it meant getting a little more adaptive. The fall play rehearsals were done using Flipgrid and Teams, meaning students had to get a little creative with blocking (the actions that actors perform on stage) because they didn’t have a stage. Fortunately, hybrid learning allowed each student to take two guests to the production, and it was also recorded for people to see on Youtube. The winter play was a completely original creation as students and teachers came together to write different scenes based on their personal experiences during the hardships of what came with the year of 2020. This production was incredibly ingenuine as well as emotional because the experiences were very personal and most students who were involved in this production actually don’t like to remember it because 2020 was such a rough year.
Little Women
Currently, the theatre department is working on their upcoming performance of Little Women. Join them on a journey back in time to 1861 with four exceptional and unique young women - Jo, Amy, Beth, and Meg. These four young women have fun, contrasting personalities and a sisterhood that sparked the imaginations of several generations. The lead roles will be played by Gracie McNamara as Jo March, Emery Coughlan as Meg March, Bailey Matteson as Beth March, and Sophia Esquivel as Amy March. Come out on April 10th and 11th at 7pm in the PAC to support Mrs. Schultz and her theatre group! Mrs. Schultz speaks very highly about this show.
“Little Women, first of all, is such a classic and the actors are phenomenal. They are just absolutely killing it! They are doing such a good job,” Mrs. Schultz said. “I think they’re having fun and the rehearsals have been going so well it makes me nervous. But, I’m excited for everybody to get to see what they're doing and have fun.”
Love From Students
The following are quotes about Mrs. Schultz from EFHS students.
“Mrs. Schultz helped me realize that the stage didn't have to be an escape from who I was as a person, but a home to embrace who I was as an individual. She pushed me to realize that I could add a piece of myself into any character I’m playing and in doing that, I could discover something new about myself because I poured a piece of me into playing someone else.” - Bailey Matteson
“Back at my old school I never felt like I was talented enough and that my dreams were too unrealistic to become an actress, but when I came here, despite you not knowing me that well, she gave me a chance no one has and I finally got to be able to show what I love doing to other people. Because of her, I feel confident enough in my dream again and am able to see that my dedication to what I love is worth all the hard work I put in it.” - Kylie Lorraine Simms
“Mrs. Schultz is a mother to so many already, but never fails to make yet another person feel at home.” - Maggie Thorpe
“She showed me love and acceptance. I'm glad I can call myself a member of the drama club. She's a second mom, and as Maggie said, never fails to make people feel at home” - William James Kelley
“Mrs. Schultz is like a second mother to me! I’m so thankful to have her and she’s always been there for me. She always wants us to feel safe and loved. When I was struggling, I could go up to her and she would give me the biggest hug ever. Mrs. Schultz is the best teacher to have” - Courtney Montaldo
“She makes me happy to be in rehearsals every day, and she always keeps me motivated. I thank her for being the best person and teacher I could ask for” -Sophia Esquivel