As a three-time winner of the Best of State Award and one of Utah's largest arts guilds, the Sandy Arts Guild stages a youth musical every spring. This year, the youth musical was “Mean Girls Jr.” and ran March 20-23 at the Theater at Mount Jordan. 

The selections committee initially considered “Mean Girls Jr.” because “it was a very successful Broadway production and we knew it would be a popular show for teens to want to participate in,” said Briana Chipman, director of “Mean Girls Jr.” and guild board member. “After reading the script and previewing it for content, we chose the show because of its relevance—the issues that our main character experiences are the exact same issues that our kids are facing in the halls of their schools today. We may not have a group of ‘plastics’ but everyone has had to navigate a social hierarchy and find their place in school and the world.” 

The Sandy Arts Guild had a tradition of choosing a theme for each youth production that focuses on emotional intelligence or supporting their lives outside of the show. The cast then makes a craft related to the theme, and is sometimes used as a prop or set decoration. The theme for this show was “We’re all stars.” 

“We wanted the craft to be something that was relevant to the show and useful for the kids in their real lives,” Chipman said. “Prop designer Brinda Slaughter came up with the idea to turn the Burn Book from the show in a positive direction to a Build Book.” 

During rehearsals, the cast members created “Build Books” books for cast members to write positive things about each other and their favorite moments. The cast members also used the books to write down thoughts and experiences during the rehearsal process. 

According to Eric Richards, music director, this show is much more relatable than other youth musicals in the past. 

“For Disney shows or shows that may not take place in a world like ours, it requires a bit of acceptance of the theatre magic. You have to search for your own message in the story. But with ‘Mean Girls’ it is literally taking place in a school, much like our schools right now. This is exactly what our kids are dealing with and it’s so easy to find your message of love and acceptance to apply to your life right now.” 

Coming up next on the art guild’s calendar is a Plein Air Paint Out Competition for visual artists (May 31-June 1), a youth showcase summer camp program (June 3-21), a Plein Air Quick Draw Competition (June 29). The next large theatrical production will be “Mamma Mia!” in the summer, followed by “Little Women” in October.

“The Sandy Arts Guild is committed to providing arts experiences to all, regardless of background, providing multiple free events each year and free tickets to underserved populations,” said Elyse George, a Sandy City marketing and development specialist. “We produce affordable and high quality entertainment in our theatrical productions—many patrons are shocked at the caliber of talent in our shows and liken us to professional theaters in the area.” 

Sandy City Mayor Monica Zoltanski called community arts “an important part of the cultural fabric of our city. Community arts are a major part of what breathes life into our city, creating opportunities to make memories and strong personal and cultural connections.” λ