Head out for dinner and show next week when Ignacio High School theater students stage their production of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

The spaghetti dinner will be a fundraiser for the students, who hope to travel to New York City to catch a Broadway play in May.

“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is a play based on the novel by C.S. Lewis, which is part of “The Chronicles of Narnia” series. It’s the story of four children who find a portal to the magical world of Narnia in the back of a wardrobe.

Jennifer Boniface, the show’s director, said there are 38 students in the production. She added that the theater program at IHS is continuing to grow, having started with seven students and now boasts 96 who have signed up.

“I think it’s because kids get to just be who they want to be and they can be goofy, and just break out of the normal school day. But they’re still learning,” she said.

Monday and Wednesday’s shows will begin at 6 p.m., with the fundraiser dinner starting at 5 p.m. Dinner will include spaghetti, salad and breadsticks. Patrons also have the option of attending the show only, Boniface said.

Theater is important because it teaches students important life lessons that will stick with kids throughout their lives, Boniface said.

“Every job, every life pathway, you have to know how to speak in public and just communicate, and what better way than to get up in front of a huge audience and act? That’s one big life reason,” Boniface said. “And it lets them be – it’s just a different venue than just traditional learning.”

katie@durangoherald.com

If you go

What:

Ignacio High School Theater Department presents “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” which will also include a preshow spaghetti dinner fundraiser.

When:

5 p.m. (dinner), 6 p.m. (show) Monday and Wednesday.

Where:

Ignacio High School, 315 Ignacio St., Ignacio.

Tickets:

Adults, $7 dinner and $7 show; children, $7 dinner and $5 show; children younger than 3 are free. Tickets will be available at the door.