For every student who makes the cast of the Pomona High School spring musical, two must be turned down. This is perhaps the most challenging and heartbreaking aspect of Gavin Mayer's job as Pomona theatre director, a position he filled ten years ago, fresh out of college.

"I love all these kids and it's very hard to leave anyone out, but I have to balance what is best for the show and what is best for the students," he says.

That balancing act is one of many for the theatre director, who splits his time between what could be considered two jobs: planning and preparing acting classes for 150 students every day and directing and producing at least two major productions - a fall play and a spring musical.

"It's a challenge to give 100% to every aspect of the job," Mayer says. "My first thought is always 'What is best for the students?'"

As one of a handful of teachers who see the same students every day for four years, Mayer takes on many roles.

"My job is about counseling, parenting, role modeling and sometimes mediating," he says.

In addition to teaching and directing, Mayer spends hours coaching individuals for college auditions, listening to problems, checking to make sure his actors are keeping up their grades, and chaperoning student trips to such places as New York City, London and Paris.

This theatre teacher learned long ago that his job is more than teaching content.

"Theatre is a reflection of humanity, a conduit to teaching life lessons," Mayer says. "It is most important to me that kids walk out of here as good people who understand how to interact with others because of lessons learned through theatre. Those lessons - risk-taking, commitment, compassion, responsibility, discipline, dedication and developing self-confidence - open other doors."

Pomona High School enjoys a long tradition of commitment to the arts, from the administration and faculty, to the students, parents and community. That commitment is especially evident this time of year, as directors and students are immersed in rehearsals and set building for the spring musical. Mayer and Vocal Music Director Debbie Miller are directing one of the most challenging musicals for a high school, the epic Broadway hit Les Misérables, which will be performed March 19-22 and is open to the public . (Call 303-982-0536 for ticket information.)

The Pomona theatre department receives strong support from the administration (Principal Dan Cohan is reading the novel Les Misérables along with students in the junior AP English classes) and faculty, who are connecting the post-French Revolution setting to the social studies, history and French curriculum as well, making the show a school-wide project.

"We are lucky to have a lot of alumni reinvestment," says Mayer, who welcomes former students who return to help with lighting, sound and set design. This year, 1999 Pomona graduate (and playwright) Tom Campbell joined the staff as part-time technical director. Mayer relies on dedicated professionals - choreographer Robin Gayton and costume designer Laurie Klapperich - who have worked with him for several years.

He also enjoys multi-faceted help from the Catwalk Theater Guild, a parent organization that oversees fundraising, cast dinners, ticket sales, concessions, etc., leaving him more time to focus on students.

Mayer, who received the 9News Teacher Who Cares Award two years ago, gets a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from his job. And he strives to give his students those same feelings: "I hope that in 20 or 30 years, they'll look back at the time they spent in theatre as one of the biggest and best experiences of high school."