Evan Owens / Staff reporter

For the first time in over two years, following almost two months of preparation, students in junior and senior drama classes held in-person drama showcases on April 5 and 6.

Throughout the two evenings, eight different one-act plays, base d on a variety of topics, were performed to full audiences, who had paid an entrance fee of $2 or $5 depending on whether they were a student or an adult.

According to Bodhi Jordan, grade 12, the showcases demonstrated and recognized what the drama classes have learnt throughout the semester. “It was a celebration of what we have learned so far because we spent all this time practicing, [and] figuring out acting techniques. It was showing it to the general public,” explained Jordan.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, last week’s performances were the first to be held in person in over two years. Previously, drama students were forced to settle with in-class showcases, performed just for their peers. “Having a full audience was incredible,” said Nathan Nishimura, grade 11, who performed in front of a live audience for the first time in the play, Dark Road written by Laura Lundgren Smith on April 5th.

Jordan agreed. “Having an audience there is a completely different experience to playing to an empty room with Mr. Maller and the tech people,” he said before adding, “it’s exciting to have new audiences coming back.”

Despite it being the first time in front of an audience for many, the plays went well, according to Nishimura. “Everyone pulled out their lines and hit all the points that needed to be hit,” he said. His play, Dark Road, took on a heavier theme, taking place in Nazi Germany.

The other plays in the showcase included period piece Digging Up the Boys, comedy Law and Order: Fairy Tale Unit, arthouse piece Cagebirds, as well as Ascension Day, the Other Room, To Burn a Witch, and This is a Test. According to Jordan, all students got to choose their plays, and the themes.

Drama teacher Justin Maller did all the technical work for the showcase according to Nishimura. This included the lighting and the music.

Before the end of the year, there will be one more drama showcase according to Jordan. “It is going to be much larger scale,” he revealed, before continuing, “it is going to be big enough that we are going to have intermissions, so it is going to be a lot more lines, a lot more work, but a lot of fun.”