Newtown High School’s Unified Theater program is set to present an original student-driven show called Breaking Barriers, Saturday, May 18, at 6 pm, and Sunday, May 19, at 2 pm, at Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road.

In Unified Theater, students of all abilities and backgrounds come together as equals to put on a production entirely organized, written, and directed by the students themselves.

The NHS Unified Theater program is self-sufficient. There is no charge for tickets to the production, and a donation of any amount is suggested and welcome. All donations support the program by covering costs for student leader training, field trips, and T-shirts, which act as costumes for each theater production held by the group.

Janice Gabriel and Alysia Caffrey are the class’s advisors. Amy McGinniss is a substitute advisor for this semester.

Head student leader and NHS junior Miles Dievert explained the Breaking Barriers production has a message: “Don’t choose your friends based on the common stereotypes or what after school activity you are doing. You want to be well-rounded.”

Unified Theater productions are described as “perfectly imperfect.”

Along with Unified Theater students, students from two Fit For Life classes will have cameo dances in Breaking Barriers.

Unified Theater students involved in the production include Maleeha Ali, Jessica Andreotta, Gregory Andrew, Tessa Bigwarfe, Katherine Bisset, Paige Connor, Anne Connors, Molly Connors, David Croteau, Jordan D’Amico, Miles Dievert, Victoria Duarte, William Eagleson, John Ford, Victoria Gates, Daniel Hasselberger, Madison Hitchcock, Benjamin Ismail, Kaitlyn Kastanek, Samantha Kuruc, Joseph-James McCray, Lianna Perazzo, Ruby Rankin, Timothy Rogers, Madeline Rose, Lauren Ryer, Caitlin Thompson, Danielle Vigneau, Matthew Vigneau, and Frank Welber, according to the school.