After the removal of Lagniappe-Potpourri, the New Trier Theatre Department has implemented a student-directing board for the upcoming Freshman/Sophomore musical “Willy Wonka.”
“I think this is going to be a really fun, unique process,” Director of Willy Wonka and New Trier science teacher Ryan Dunn said.
The student directing board will include leadership opportunities such as student choreographers, directors, costumers, and prop makers, shifting the weight from teacher-led instruction to students staging their own scenes and providing feedback.
“It’s meant to be kind of a mini-directing experience,” Dunn said.
The program grants them opportunities to learn about what goes on behind the scenes of a show and to develop collaborative skills, helping bring the production to life. Participating on the student directing board will give students knowledge that they can carry with them for the rest of their careers. Student choreographers will be helping choreograph dance numbers, student stage directors will help block scenes, and student costumers will help bring characters to life visually.
Lagniappe-Potpourri was completely student-written and directed. Despite shifting the weight from a completely student-written and directed show to one where faculty oversees the directing of the program, the overall feel is the same: production will continue to center around student input and leadership. This year’s Frosh/Soph musical will encourage students to share ideas and take initiative so that student leadership can stay at the heart of the theatre department for years to come.
“We are definitely looking at trying to keep the leadership opportunities that we can,” Dunn stated.
To keep the Lagniappe-Potpourri tradition running, the department wants to continue making the production a space where students can not only grow as performers, but also as leaders.
“Some things that we had to consider while applying for these roles [were], are you going to be responsible and are you going to be a role model? I’m just hoping to take away a sense of being a good leader,” senior Mo Riley, a student stage director, said.
Incorporating the student-led aspect provides student directors with a chance to share their ideas and bring their experience and talent to the show.
“No one knows the students better than the students themselves, so the idea of collaborating with upperclassmen sounds really fun and rewarding,” sophomore Johnny Kennedy, who is planning to audition for the show, said.
Student directors will serve as positive role models for the students participating in the production, creating a more welcoming and enjoyable environment for the show. Most of the students on the student directing board have been in theatre for years, meaning they have plenty of passion towards the arts and hope to bring their expertise to the production.
“I really want to create a positive environment,” Riley said. “All of my shows at New Trier have been such a fun experience. This is my last year so I hope I can make more memories in another one.”