Dexter High School Drama Club Hosts One-Act Showcase This Weekend

The Drama Club will present the second annual "3D" student directed showcase this weekend.

The event is a collaborative show featuring juniors and seniors who have the opportunity to cast and direct mini one-act performances.

"The directing process involves not only blocking (instructing actors where to move on stage), but also all technical aspects of a chosen scene," club advisor Erin Palmer said. "Students research and choose the show they want to direct and this year, two shows were written by the students themselves."

This year, six one-act scenes have been chosen by the student directors. Three will be shown on each night, beginning at 7 p.m. with a 10-minute intermission.  Friday and Sunday's shows include John Tucker Must Die, directed by Sara Zadrzynski and Alex Semifero, Think Fast, directed by Jacob Dishman, and Alone or Alone, directed by Jennifer Stirling.

Saturday's shows include Scrubs the Musical, directed by Ava Obrecht and Michelle Metevier, Take Five, directed by Daniel Hanrath, and Rabbit Hole, directed by Charlotte Morrill.

Each show is approximately 15 to 40 minutes in length.

Palmer, who initiated the program, said allowing students to direct their own show prior to graduation is something many DHS seniors look forward to.

"The opportunity to direct a show is a very valuable experience that is rarely offered to high school students," Palmer said. "Many of our student-directors plan to pursue theater or directing after high school, and the opportunity to direct a play is a great way for students to give this aspect of theater a try before deciding on specific schools or colleges.

"Even for the student directors who don’t plan to pursue directing as a career, the leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills that students learn in a directing role are useful in every aspect of life."

Putting this year's showcase together has not been without its share of difficulties. Following the on March 15, Palmer said the club was forced to alter several of its practice dates.

"It has been a difficult but manageable process because the , the location of the 3D series, was closed to all activities last weekend, when we had planned to incorporate technical aspects into the shows. We managed to reschedule the 'tech day' and the show must go on," she said.

Many of the students involved with the showcase suffered damage to their homes from the tornado, and club officers will have a donation box during all performances of the 3D series to collect donations for the Dexter Relief Fund.

Tickets for the showcase are $5 and can be purchased at the door. All performances will take place at the . For more information, visit www.dexterdrama.com.