As early as the first week of school, two SFHS seniors, Ethan Stanley and Masson Tassie, began working on expanding their thespian legacy at South through two student directed plays, “Little Women” and “Superheroes.” 

In SFHS’s theater program, the Advanced Drama Class students have the chance to submit and present a student-directed proposal to earn the opportunity to be a director. The students are given the tough task to submit an in-depth research proposal which addresses elements like lighting, casting, set design, scripts and more. 

The idea stemmed from Ethan and Mason’s conversations about producing and directing. The pair decided to bring their proposals to director Joni Smithwick about continuing the student-directed plays’ tradition. After careful consideration, Smithwick agreed to let them direct and select their actors within the program.

“The student directing program has been going on for a few years and I don’t think Mrs. Smithwick has plans to get rid of it, since it’s such an amazing opportunity for many who want to go into the directing field,” said Ethan. “Student directing helped me understand the struggles of my theater directors and how much dedication and work they put into this craft.”

Upon being selected to lead their own shows, the two seniors began the directing process immediately.

“It was so much fun to see it all come together in the end,” said Ethan, whose show, “Little Women,” ran at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) on Sept. 16. “The start of the show was very hard for me, because I had become close with so many of my fellow thespians and it was so hard to fit people into roles – everyone was just so talented. But once I finalized and sent my cast list to everyone and we had our first meeting, I knew we were all going to have a blast. I truly could not be more proud of my amazing class.”

“‘Superheroes’ was a new style of production where we used less budget and materials, [and] that made everyone have to think out of the box,” said Mason, whose show ran first at the PAC on Sept. 15. “Because it was directed by a peer, it allowed for collaboration. Even though I was still the director, my actors would still come to me with suggestions and ideas and sometimes they could be integrated into the production. It definitely impacted our thespian community positively.”

Both performances were completely free for all to attend and appreciate. Upon arrival attendees were handed a “Playbill” pamphlet that showcased the actors, artistry and all of the time spent on these carefully curated performances. 

On  Sept. 15, Mason’s play “Superheros” was put on at 6:30 in the PAC. The straight play, only being thirty minutes in length, features a hilarious retelling of Marvel and D.C. superheroes on their days off and the adversities they face just as regular citizens do.

The lead of the performance, Sam Mengeling, carefully embodied the role of a tired superhero with little to no work nor recognition from citizens. During the performance she played Hawkeye, Hulk, Ulma, and Client. 

“This was my first time actually being in [a] Student Directed [play], but I’ve been going since my freshman year, and I love them. Even though the shows on the surface seem pretty simple compared to our bigger productions, it definitely showcases the variety of talent in our troupe – whether it’s directing or acting,” said Sam. “The smaller audiences, mostly made up of other troupe members, really bring the classes together early in the year and create a community.”

Following the performance of “Superheroes” was Ethan’s production of “Little Women” at 6:30 p.m. on Sept.16. The show was an hour-long showcase of Louise May Alcott’s literary classic brought to life with the beloved characters and warmth of the March sisters. 

The lead and heroine of the play, Jo March, was played by Senior performer Kaveri Prashar. She effortlessly showcased Jo’s headstrong and spirited character as well as her deep emotional side and playful persona. 

“ It was an amazing experience. Ethan was such an incredible director who had a great vision for the show. When he told me about it the previous year, I was so excited and and it lived up to all my expectations,” said Kaveri. “He truly communicated his needs so well and was extremely organized. I think the plays have really brought our class together as a family,” she added.

Kaveri echoed the sentiment that student-directed plays can function as a team-building exercise as well as creative expression.

“We spent so much time working together and the joy we felt radiated through our performance,” Kaveri said. “It’s also shown everyone that being kind and supportive of your peers is one of the most important parts of the process.”

Altogether, the two plays serve as a gateway for future SFHS thespians interested in student-directing as well as producing. 

“Student Directing really helped me grow as a person because it was an experience that required me to branch out of the norm where I was able to be creative but also detail oriented and think ahead,” said Mason. “I hope that in the future I have another chance to direct a product because I had so much fun directing this show.”

In addition to promoting teamwork and a love of the thespian arts, participating in a student-directed play can have an impact for years to come.

“I originally planned to major in psychology and maybe do theater on the side, when, or if I had the time – but now my plan has slightly shifted, ” said Ethan. “This opportunity and all of the encouragement from my director has made me really think about choosing directing as a career.”