M.A.S.H. takes the stage at LCHS as long-time theatre teacher Ron Coley takes his final bow

The Lee County High School production of M.A.S.H. will have three performances this weekend. Shows on Friday and Saturday nights will begin at 7 p.m. Sunday afternoon will feature a 2:30 p.m. show to close the weekend’s run. All shows are in the McLeod Auditorium at Lee County High School. Tickets are $10 at the door.

After more than three decades in education and nearly two decades shaping the stage at his alma mater, Lee County High School, Ron Coley is preparing for his final curtain call.

Coley has been a theatre arts teacher for a total of 31 years, 19 of those at Lee County High School. Despite time in elementary schools and at Athens Drive High, in many ways, his story has always been rooted right here.

“I graduated from here,” he said. “Although, ironically, I never actually did a play here in high school.”

That passion for theatre did not wait long to take hold. As a senior, Coley found his way to the stage through the Footlight Players, performing in Sorry, Wrong Number and Anything Goes in 1981, a pair of experiences that changed everything.

“The moment theatre hooked me was probably that first play,” he said. “Once I did it, I just knew that was my ‘new life.’”

From there, the path became clear: a career built around theatre, and around students.

“Once I started doing theatre myself, I wanted my career to be around it,” Coley said. “But I also wanted to eat,” he chuckled. “I decided I liked working with students, so I decided to be a teacher, and why not teach something you love?”

When Coley arrived at Lee County High School, the program looked very different than it does today. Resources were limited. Performances were fewer. Even the auditorium itself posed a challenge.

“The first show I did here was actually a classroom show,” he said. “I was told the auditorium was in disrepair and we wouldn’t be able to use it. But after that first show, we figured out how to make it work.”

And make it work they did.

Over the years, Coley estimates the program has produced close to 100 shows, often staging four or five productions annually. Along the way, he watched the program evolve from modest beginnings into a thriving, county-wide source of pride.

“I’m proud of watching the program grow,” he said. “Those early students really laid the foundation for what we have now.”

Part of that growth came from an idea that started almost by accident – bringing younger students into the experience.

“With The Wizard of Oz, we decided to audition kids to be munchkins, and we had a lot show up,” he said. “We used 25 of them. That led to student matinees, inviting younger kids from across the county to come see live theatre.”

What began as a single casting decision grew into something much larger, a pipeline of future performers and a shared community experience.

“We started realizing we weren’t just teaching high school students. We were building an all-county program,” Coley said. “Now, we have students who come here and say the first play they ever saw was one of our student matinees.”

As the years passed, Coley’s impact extended far beyond the stage. For him, theatre has always been about more than performance.

“I hope my students take away confidence,” he said. “Even if they never do another play, they need to be able to stand in front of people and present themselves. That’s something they’ll use no matter what they choose to do.”

Now as his career comes to a close, it feels only fitting that his final production brings everything full circle.

This weekend’s performance of M.A.S.H. by Coley’s Advanced Theatre Class isn’t just another show – it’s a tribute.

“M.A.S.H. was the first show we did in the auditorium when I began teaching here,” Coley remembered. “I thought how great it would be to close with what I opened with.”

The production is also a celebration of the many students who have been part of the journey.

“This is a little bit of a hat tip to my former students,” he said. “I’m inviting all my former students to come this weekend. I’m going to recognize them at the beginning of each show and ask them to come up on stage afterward.”

In addition, audiences will be able to take a walk through the program’s history with a slideshow featuring photos from the past 19 years playing before the show and during intermission.

For Coley, it’s a chance to reflect and to say thank you.

As he looks ahead to retirement, he admits the emotions are mixed.

“It will feel amazing to relax and start thinking about what my next venture will be,” he said. “I plan to do some writing, maybe audition for some things myself – do some more things for me.”

But there is one thing he knows he will miss.

“I’m really going to miss those opening nights,” he said. “If you can go to work every day and laugh and be silly, and still make an impact – that’s a win.”

And make an impact he has.

For countless students, families, and community members, the Lee County HIgh School theatre program has become something special. Something that often surprises those who walk through the doors.

“People sometimes expect a high school play to feel amateurish,” Coley said. “But when they come, they usually walk out saying, ‘That was much more professional than I expected.’”

That legacy of excellence, opportunity, and belief in students will continue long after the final curtain falls.

This weekend, as the lights dim on M.A.S.H., they will also rise on the lasting impact of a teacher who helped generations of students find their voice, their confidence, and their place in the spotlight.

April 29, 2026

Provided by LCHS Public Information Officer James Alverson.

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