Jersey Community High School to Present Halloween-Themed Fall Play
JERSEYVILLE - Jersey Community High School students are eager to present the Halloween-themed fall play, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
At 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, community members can check out the play at the high school. Tickets are available online and every cast and crew member is excited to share their hard work. Cara Rojas, the high school’s Spanish teacher and theater director, can’t wait to show the community what her students can do.
“We’re hoping to give a little Halloween spirit, but not scare people too much, but keep the originality of the story,” Rojas said. “I’ve had people around town say how this is a book they read when they were kids, and they just can’t wait to see it. We’re hoping to really bring that story to life.”
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is based on the 1820 short story by Washington Irving, and it includes favorite characters like Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Rojas shared she is “not much of a spooky girl,” but her assistant director and costume and prop manager have come together to bring the creepy Halloween fun to the stage.
Audience members are welcome to wear costumes. After the 2 p.m. performance on Oct. 31, there will be trick-or-treating at the school for kids who attend the show.
Students have decorated pumpkins, and audience members can vote for their favorites. The JCHS Theatre Friends group will also sell light-up toys as memorabilia for the show.
The 2 p.m. matinee on Nov. 1 will also feature a special recognition of senior students. Rojas noted that students have worked hard to bring the fall play to life. With a slightly shorter play than in previous years, they have been able to shorten rehearsals, but the kids are still bringing their best to rehearsal every day. Rojas is proud of her students for their collaboration and commitment to theater.
“We’ve been working really hard in practices,” she said. “Kids are always there, always present, always giving 100%. They have open ears and hardworking spirits.”
Rojas took over the JCHS drama department two years ago. She previously assisted the drama department in Jerseyville, and she served as the music and band teacher in Calhoun for several years before that. Her fine arts background has prepared her for this role, and she hopes she is “making [the previous director] proud” with her work.
She added that the fine arts program at Jersey Community High School is continuing to grow. She believes it’s important to offer fine arts like music, theater and art to students, and she is pleased to be a part of this effort in Jerseyville.
“We’re building a great fine arts team,” Rojas said. “We’re going to be a really big power force here coming up, as we have a lot of new teachers and we’re learning to work together. We’re just really starting to jive and build this fine arts program up.”
Click here to purchase your tickets for “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” For more information about the Jersey Community High School theater program, check out the official JCHS Theatre Friends Facebook page.
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