Aeris Aerial Arts and 90&9 Present
We all have things that we're dealing with. Challenges and trials. But no matter what it's our choice to keep climbing and rising from those ashes. We're not alone. There's always someone there who's watching out for us. By helping other people it can help bring us out of those pits and help us see some light. This show encourages families to communicate and love each other through the ups and downs of life. Thank you for going on this journey with us.
- Nik and Darla Day, Creators
THE STORY
A phoenix, living in the cirque world in the sky, is overcome by Inner Darkness, a sinister hooded figure, and falls to our world in a pile of ashes. She ends up in a high school where she faces the difficulties of adolescent life. She meets three characters, the Football Team Captain, the Cheerleader, and the Valedictorian, who are all struggling with their own issues. Each of these characters performs on their own cirque "apparatus" that is symbolic of their inner pain while singers perform the original songs assigned to each character. The narrator raps his narrations and invites us into the minds of these characters. The phoenix, one by one, helps these characters, and in turn loses her ashes until she becomes a beautiful phoenix again and performs an amazing number on the aerial silks at the end of the show, symbolizing her ability to fly again and return to her world in the sky. She says goodbye to her new friends as she returns home, stronger, wiser, and more beautiful than she was before.
THE PHOENIX
The phoenix is a magical creature who lives in the cirque world in the sky. She is learning how to fly from the Grand Phoenix, who she hopes to be like someday. As she struggles with feelings of self doubt, Inner Darkness overtakes her and she falls from the sky and ends up in a high school setting on our world. She meets the Football Team Captain, the Cheerleader, and the Valedictorian, who all have their own struggles. The Phoenix figures out how to help each one of them and as time passes she loses all of her ashes. She then performs a beautiful act on the aerial silks, showing that she has finally learned how to fly. She also finds out that the Grand Phoenix has been watching over her all along. Played by Makayla Finlinson.
THE FOOTBALL
TEAM CAPTAIN
The Football Team Captain is amazing at sports and the whole school looks up to him. He has taken the football team to state championships, but he is keeping a secret that is eating him alive. He doesn't want anyone to know, especially his parents, that he is gay. What if his parents don't accept him? What if everyone at school rejects him? He performs on the aerial chains during the song, "Chains," showing how trapped and weighed down he feels. The Phoenix knows his secret and shows him unconditional love, which helps him learn how to love and accept himself. Played by Alan Brinkerhoff.
THE VALEDICTORIAN
THE CHEERLEADER
The Cheerleader is popular and looks perfect on the outside, but feels a lot of pain inside. She doesn't live in a safe home and has low confidence, but she hides it by taking cute selfies and bullying the less popular kids at school. She doesn't want anyone to see the sadness that she feels, but the Phoenix sees her as she is. The Cheerleader performs a dance number and does part of her act on an aerial globe during the song "Out of My Head." The Phoenix helps her get out of her head even though she was bullied by the Cheerleader, and they become friends. The Cheerleader finds the confidence and self love she has been searching for. Played by Marlie Rich.
THE VALEDICTORIAN
The Valedictorian feels the weight of the world on her shoulders. She feels valued by being the top of her class and doing everything right. She is very intelligent and responsible, but feels an immense pressure to be perfect. She feels like she is drowning in all of her expectations, and can barely breathe. She performs on the aerial Lyra during the song, "Underwater." The Phoenix sees and feels her pain, and helps her overcome some of her anxieties, and the Valedictorian learns how to breathe deeply and starts to allow herself to enjoy life and put less expectations on herself. Played by Maya Kelley.
THE NARRATOR
The Narrator raps the stories of the Phoenix, the Football Team Captain, the Cheerleader, and the Valedictorian, and helps us see what's happening inside their heads. At the end of the show when the Phoenix learns how to fly, he sings "We're in This Together." He sings, "When you stare in the mirror, everyone's staring back at you. When you feel like you're lost, you've got someone to hold onto. When life seems to break your heart, you're not the only one. And it won't last forever. We're in this together." Played by Oba Bonner.
THE GRAND
PHOENIX
The Grand Phoenix is the queen of the skies. She rules over her world with grace and love and helps the other magical creatures become who they were meant to be. In the beginning, in the cirque world in the sky, the Grand Phoenix is helping the Phoenix learn how to fly. She allows Inner Darkness to enter her kingdom and overcome the Phoenix, leading to her fall. The Grand Phoenix watches over the Phoenix and helps her navigate this strange new world. The Grand Phoenix knows that to truly learn how to fly, the Phoenix needs to learn how to love those around her. She gives the Phoenix the strength she needs to shed her ashes and become the beautiful, glorious being she was always destined to be. Played by Holly Ann Jarvis.
INNER
DARKNESS
Inner Darkness is the evil force that whispers lies and tells the characters that they will never be good enough. He has an obsession with the Phoenix because she is everything he isn't – beautiful, glorious, and kind. He overpowers the Phoenix at the beginning of the show and makes her burn into a pile of ashes. He performs his death-defying number on the aerial straps and makes the Phoenix feel helpless. But his hold over her doesn't last long. The Phoenix learns how to fight Inner Darkness, and overpowers him in the end. Played by Mark Webber.
PATCH CROWE
CLAIRE WESTCOTT
MCKENNA HIXSON
PATCH CROWE
EVELYN DETZANY
GRANT WESTCOTT
DARLA DAY
DARLA DAY, co-creator of 90&9, is a professional aerial acrobat and circus performer. She has performed across the country with Cirque USA, Cirque Du Soleil, J&D Entertainment, Ke$ha, David Tutera, MTV, SONY, Cindy Lauper, Dallas Cowboys, Celerity Super Bowl Parties, Odyssey Dance Theatre and more. She has directed, choreographed and produced 10 Cirque-style shows in Salt Lake City. She was creative director for an International show in Tokyo, Japan starring Lauren Allred from The Greatest Showman. She has directed shows for USANA, NUSKIN, VIVINT, XYNGULAR, MORINDA (TAHITIAN NONI), GOVERNOR'S GALA, YOUNIQUE, AMERICA FIRST, and more. She was the aerial director for an episode of Wonderama, The aerial director for Vocal Point’s, “Greatest Showman” Music Video and appeared as ‘Zendaya’, Director for the One Voice Children’s Choir Music Video, “ I’m not Broken”, Aerial Director for One Voice Children’s Choir, “This is Me Music Video”, Aerial Director for Lexi Walker’s , “When a Child is Born” music video, Co-Director for Symphonique presented by UVU, and more. She is also a public speaker and you can see one of her speaches on Hope Works. Click here to watch.
NIK DAY is a co-creator of 90&9 and a singer/songwriter who resides in Salt Lake County with his wife and three kids. He has written hundreds of songs (Peace in Christ, I Will Go and Do sung by David Archuleta, A Great Work) for the Church of Jesus Christ, and his songs have been translated into more than 40 languages and performed around the world. He has traveled to many different countries to put on songwriting workshops for Latter-day Saint youth, hoping to increase the amount of gospel-based music written and produced outside of the United States by talented Church members. His life’s mission is to put uplifting, gospel-based music in every home. His music is featured on the Youth and EFY albums.
NIK DAY
In Loving Memory of Brandon...
"Brandon's soul was born to wander and he spent his life doing just that. His long-term battle with depression and addiction ended abruptly as the darkness eclipsed his light. His spirit speaks through his family and is illuminated in their passion to support others who are struggling with mental health challenges and addiction...to help them find their light and to be able to rise from the ashes and begin anew." Jo Duff, Brandon's sister, and Maya Kelley's mother (The Valedictorian).
Brandon's journey ended unexpectedly on March 5, 2022. 90&9‘s mission is to lift those in the depths of mental health battles through the power of the performing arts. Sometimes words can’t express the deepest feelings of our hearts and we need to "move it out." Our goal is to lift the broken hearted and bring hope when hope feels gone. Through workshops, concerts, and Cirque-style productions we try to inspire the symbol of the Phoenix who rises from the ashes, as we too were made strong and capable of rising.
SHIFT DANCE CO
Fighter welcomes Shift Dance Company! Shift Dance Company is a professional company based in Highland, Utah under the direction of Megan Warnick. Shift has a mission to bring opportunities to perform for dancers in Utah. While the main focus is performing, Shift has a goal to help bring light to mental health through dancing and using it as a tool to help the artists as well as the audience through whatever they may be going through!
SAVANNAH PETERSEN
SAMANTHA FORD
HANNAH WHIPPLE
MICHAEL ARTIGA
ALYSSA GOFF
SAMI BRINKERHOFF
FIGHTER CAST 2022
MAKAYLA FINLINSON
The Phoenix
MARK WEBBER
Inner Darkness
HOLLY ANN JARVIS
The Grand Phoenix
MAYA KELLEY
Valedictorian
MARLIE RICH
Cheerleader
ALAN BRINKERHOFF
Football Team Captain
OBA BONNER
Narrator
EVELYN DETZANY
Singer
CLAIRE WESTCOTT
Singer
CLAIRE WESTCOTT
Singer
PATCH CROWE
Singer
GRANT WESTCOTT
Singer
DARLA DAY
Creator / Director
NIK DAY
Songwriter / Music Director
DANI DONE
Aerial Flyer
CREATED AND DIRECTED BY DARLA DAY
ORIGINAL SONGS BY NIK DAY
Lighting Director: Will Young
Production Manager: Scott Jackson/Next Phase Media
Stage Manager: Rosey Goodrich
Sound Engineer: Joe Anderson
Asst. Managers: David T Luna, Matisse Seal, Christina Jachman
Choreographers:
Jason Celaya, Darla Day, Jillian Richins, Olivia Fullmer, Megan Warnick, Matisse Seal, Halee Young, Bethany Boutwell
Aerial Choreography: Darla Day
Costume Design: Iffy Mitchell
Set Design: Colleen Day, Ben Day, and Dani Done
Set Production: Zach Oyler and Malia Oyler
Aerial Fly Director: Dani Done
Shift Dancers under the Direction of Megan Warnick:
Sami Brinkerhoff, Samantha Ford, Michael Artiga, Savannah Petersen, Alyssa Goff, Hannah Whipple
Aerialists: Aeris Aerial Arts Kids Company
Loganne Zupancic, Willow Waddoups, Lanna Bruinsma, Baron Davis, Emberlyn Harrison, Elissa Petrell, Dahlia Swain, Brooke Mills, Jadyn Boyce
Inner Darkness Crows:
Christina Jachmann, Grace Schealing
Baby Phoenix: Savannah Curtis
Football Captain Parents:
Maddy Stone, Will Maguire
Cheerleader Parents:
Rob Jachmann, Sharon Finlinson
Valedictorian Dad: David T Luna
**90&9 Is a non-profit that supports healthy living through the performing arts.
To stay connected to 90&9 throughout the year we offer aerial workshops for groups, corporate retreats, or treatment centers. We also have amazing professional speakers, singers, or performers who can speak at or entertain any event whether corporate, private, or school. Fighter is even available in "condensed" versions to fit any event as well. You can reach out to us by email info@90and9.org, and through our website 90and9.org.
** SMALL CHILDREN MAY FIND SCENE 9 INTENSE AND LOUD**
SCENE SYNOPSIS
ACT I
SCENE 1---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE FALL
SCENE 2-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ALONE
SCENE 3---------------------------------------------------------------------------SAME TONIGHT
SCENE 4---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CHAINS
SCENE 5----------------------------------------------------------------------OUT OF MY HEAD
SCENE 6--------------------------------------------------------------------------------UNDERWATER
SCENE 7----------------------------------------------------HE’LL NEVER LET YOU GO
SCENE 8----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FIGHTER
SCENE 9-----------------------------------------------------------------------INNER DARKNESS
INTERMISSION
ACT II
SCENE 1------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ASHES
SCENE 2----------------------------------------------------------------------I’M NOT BROKEN
SCENE 3--------------------------------------------------------------------------------LEARN TO FLY
SCENE 4------------------------------------------------------------RISE FROM THE ASHES
SCENE 5-----------------------------------------------------------------------------WATCH ME FLY
SCENE 6----------------------------------------------THE SUN WILL RISE FOR YOU
DONATE TO 90&9!
The only way 90&9 can operate is because of donors like you. Donation dollars help keep our ticket prices down and provide opportunities for youth. Something amazing about Fighter is that the majority of the show is run backstage primarily by kids and there are several kids in the show – singers, dancers, and choreographers. This show empowers kids! It gives them purpose and the chance to trust themselves. It shows them that others can depend on them, and it grows their confidence. The more confident our youth are the more they can face and conquer the challenges this world throws at them. Your contributions are greatly appreciated! Click the button below to donate.