Under Their Own Direction

Actor’s Studio II students directed by Intensified Theatre students will perform their quarterly short play, “Toy School,” during school today for Henderson Elementary kids.

“They get a much bigger experience,” drama teacher Kim Sulzner said. “It’s much closer to what a real production would be like.”

In past years, Intensified Theatre students performed the play after school. However, the class was cut this year because few people registered for it. The six Intensified Theatre students combined with Actor’s Studio II for the semester class; Actor’s Studio performed, while Intensified Theatre did the behind-the-scenes work, from directing to stage managing.

“It’s been a good opportunity for me to work as a technical director for a show,” Intensified Theatre student Zac Cary said. “I’m looking into going into technical theater for a career, so this gave me a lot more freedoms and abilities to make decisions that I would not be able to make in our typical main stage productions.”

Intensified Theatre students picked the play, “Toy School,” which follows a group of misfit toys who must learn to be proper toys before finding homes.

“It’s scary because they’re never ready, and then we say the magic happens before the curtain opens,” Sulzner said. “Suddenly everyone remembers their lines and they know all their cues and some magic theater fairy dust happens or something. They turn out really awesome and I love watching that.”

KOE Picnic Nears

As the end of the school year approaches, the KOE Picnic draws near and is being held May 6 during sixth and seventh hour. The members of KOE have been preparing for the picnic for nearly the whole year by ordering inflatables and planning what food will be served. It is their biggest event of the year next to fundraising events and Teacher Appreciation Week.

“It’s so fun to just see the kids do nothing but have fun for a couple hours,” club sponsor Lindsey Scheller said.

The picnic remains similar to last year’s festivities, with inflatables like obstacle courses and bounce houses as well as food for eligible students. Members of KOE have the job of deciding the layout of the inflatables on the field, which they will help set up on the day of the picnic.

“My favorite part of the picnic is being able to leave class to help set up instead of just going for a couple hours,” sophomore Caty Arnold said.

Members of KOE must earn a certain amount of hours by attending meetings, raising money for charities, and helping during KOE events such as Powderpuff in order to be able to leave class to help set up the picnic. The members eligible to skip class spend the whole day setting up before the picnic begins.

“I hope that there’s more stuff for people to do so that there’s not as many lines and that more people will be able to come,” Arnold said.