April 2026 | Vol. 12 Iss. 4
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West Valley City
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Hunter High School Unified Performing Arts brings ‘Aladdin Jr.’ to life By Zachary Smith | z.smith@mycityjournals.com
“The best part of putting together a show like this is witnessing the friendships that form between the students,” says theatre teacher Kjersti Parkes.
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n the evenings of March 5 and 6, Hunter High School Hunter Unified Performing Arts invited audiences to a whole new world in a unified production of Disney’s “Aladdin KIDS.” The play featured performances from students of all abilities working together to bring a timeless classic to life on stage. Unified Performing Arts is an elective theatre class that Hunter High students can sign up for. Organized and taught by theatre teacher Kjersti Parkes, the class pairs students with disabilities with non-disabled students to create all-inclusive productions. Each non-disabled student is assigned a partner to work with from a specialized education class. Both partners help each other learn, improve and bring out their best performance. This year, the class was tasked with bringing the story of Aladdin to life with a magical genie, a flying carpet and all. For cast member Ricky Chavez, the focus on friendship and classmates uplifting each other behind the scenes made the play a special experience. “It has been one of the greatest things I’ve been able to be a part of,” Chavez said. “Working with these amazing kids has taught me so many important lessons I can take with
The cast of Hunter High School’s unified production of “Aladdin KIDS.” (Courtesy of Jennifer Johnson) me going into my future. My partner that I work with is one of my great friends and such an awesome person to be around.” Hunter High has put on a unified play every year since 2023. In previous years, the class performed “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” “Finding Nemo Jr.,” and “Moana Jr.”
“The best part of putting together a show like this is witnessing the friendships that form between the students,” Parkes said. “Giving our friends with special needs an opportunity to be in the spotlight is my favorite thing.” Hunter High School is one of about
20 schools in Utah to be recognized as a Special Olympics Unified National Banner School for meeting 10 standards of excellence in its inclusive unified programs. In addition to unified theatre, the school offers unified sports including soccer, basketball, track and swimming. l