Welcome to PLAYBILLDER Spotlight, where Playbill highlights shows from educational institutions or regional theatres and special events around the country (who have used Playbill's program-building service). By welcoming these PLAYBILLDERs center stage, we hope to give our readers a more in-depth look at theatre programs that are fostering the love of the performing arts in the next generation and the way theatre lovers are bringing Playbill along for life's big moments.
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This week's spotlight is Wausau East High School of Wausau, Wisconsin and their production Fright Fest, featuring two short plays by Don Zolidis, The Price and The Haunted House Disaster. Zolidis, a former high school and middle school theatre teacher, is one of the most-produced playwrights in American schools. With more that 125 published plays, Zolidis' works have been performed in every state, every Canadian province, and 67 different countries.
Director Stacey Drenk shared with Playbill how she teaches her students that every role is important, not just the lead roles.
Tell us a little about yourself. How many years have you been teaching?
Stacey Drenk: This is my 24th year as a teacher.
What is your proudest moment as an educator?
My greatest joy in teaching is working with students who, for a variety of reasons, believed they would never succeed at school, and then seeing them walk across the stage at graduation.
Can you share a little bit about the value you see in having a performing arts program in schools?
I think there are several important reasons for having a performing arts program in schools, the biggest being that it is a safe space for students who may not be athletes, but have so much to give and are looking for their place. I've never known a more accepting group of young people than "theatre kids." There are roles for everyone both onstage and in the crew so students can hone their skills in many technical and artistic areas.
What are the most challenging and most rewarding aspects of teaching the performing arts to today’s students?
The most rewarding aspect of teaching the performing arts is watching students grow across the four years they are with us. When that nervous, self-conscious freshman can lead a show as a senior it is really wonderful to watch. The upperclassmen become strong leaders and return after graduation to see the shows and cheer on their former cast mates. There is a true sense of family.
The most difficult part of teaching the performing arts is battling schedule conflicts and helping students find balance between school, work, and activities. They are pulled in so many directions these days and I see a lot of kids reaching the point of burnout. It is also really difficult to help them get past the lead role mentality and see that while it's okay to be disappointed if you didn't get a particular role, it doesn't mean you aren't good enough, it just wasn't the right role for you at this time in this show. We work hard to show them the importance of every role.
What shows are your kids obsessed with right now?
The shows I hear kids talking the most about right now are Wicked, SIX, Hadestown, Heathers, and Be More Chill.
What are your dreams for how your drama department can grow?
My biggest hope for growing our department is really just getting more students involved and finding a consistent set design and build crew that have experience building for the theatre and will stay with us. It's difficult to "graduate" parents every year.
Tell us a little bit about the production. What made you pick the show? How do you choose shows for your students?
We moved our [performance] date to October this year to avoid the craziness of the November theatre season in town and decided that we would do something that fit in with "spooky season."
I was having trouble finding a full-length show that met our demographics and really loved both of the short plays when I read them. [The two plays] are very different, but both fit what we were going for and gave the audience two very different theatrical experiences.
When we choose shows, we really look at our returning student demographics and student interest. For this show, I had been looking for scary titles. The students expressed that they really wanted a comedy, so I pivoted and I think we were all satisfied.
What are the kids loving about the show?
The students really enjoyed the physical comedy of The Haunted House Disaster. There are many moving pieces in the show and a lot of time where characters were on stage and [students] had to stay in character when they were not the focus [of the scene]. It was challenging for them and allowed them to do some improv, which they enjoyed.
How did the students participate in the design or production of this Playbill? One of our students designed the graphics for the cover. All the students, cast and crew, write their own bios.
How has PLAYBILLDER impacted your performing arts program as a resource?
I love the pre-filled templates for some shows, and I think it is fun for the students to have a program that looks like a professional Playbill.
To design Broadway-quality programs for your next show, head to PLAYBILLDER.com. Who knows, you might just be featured in our next PLAYBILLDER Spotlight! And if you are looking for a beautiful way to display your Playbills, click here to purchase Playbill frames.
