The Theatre Company’s summer production of Big Fish centers on the charismatic Edward Bloom, whose impossible stories of epic adventures frustrate his pragmatic son, Will. Bloom’s adventures make for a lively musical full of colorful characters as he tells tall tales of meeting a mermaid and a witch, befriending an agoraphobic giant, joining a circus with a werewolf ringmaster, pursuing the girl of his dreams, and saving a general from an assassin during the war.

Big Fish is told on two different timelines – one where Will is a boy whose father is often absent and another where an adult Will is an international journalist about to be married and start a family. As his father’s final chapter approaches, Will embarks on his own journey to find out who his father really is, separating the fact from fiction in the stories from his childhood.

Read more in the News Week GalleryNews Gallery Week.

Kate Verhoeven
Senior, Central Valley Christian High School, Visalia

Kate Verhoeven honored for excellence and character

Kate was selected by the Tulare County Office of Education to receive the Provident‑Salierno Pursuing Victory with Honor Scholarship, an honor reserved for students who exemplify integrity, sportsmanship, and leadership on and off the field. 

Reflecting on what “Pursuing Victory with Honor” means to her, Kate shared that her understanding of victory has evolved over time. “I used to think victory meant being the best player on a team and winning games. While that can be a part of it, true victory means showing up, working hard even when it is difficult, respecting teammates, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching.” Her words reflect the maturity and integrity she brings to every environment she’s part of.

Read more about Kate at Profiles in Character.