HER-cules: The Twelve Trials and the Story I told

HER-cules: The Twelve Trials and the Story I Told follows Beck, a high school senior who wants to be the world’s next great reporter if she can just survive her final project. When her teacher assigns her to cover the new citywide Herculean Trials, a twelve-event gauntlet designed to celebrate ‘The Complete Athlete’, Beck throws herself into sports journalism mode, hoping she’ll find her big break.
She quickly meets Avery, a mysterious, tough-minded competitor who does not want to be anyone’s headline. As this unlikely friendship grows, Beck follows Avery deeper and deeper into the trials, reporting on Avery’s pursuit of victory to a growing audience. Together, the pair must navigate the complicated mythology of school sports and the very real weight of everyone else’s expectations.
A story full of heart, swagger, and mythic spectacle, ‘HER-cules: The Twelve Trials & the Story I Told’ is about the pursuit of excellence what it costs and how far we’ll go to be the best.
Written by UM PhD recipient JM Christiansen, and directed by UM MFA Directing Candidate Chae Clearwood, HER-cules: The Twelve Trials and the Story I Told features recent graduates of the University of Montana’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Kairi Lising and Shadie Wallette, who use their talent and UM training to bring this unique story to life.
Following the public performances, the educational tour will travel across Montana, reaching over 6,000 middle and high school students in over thirty communities.