The MV Drama department hosted their showcase, the last of three shows performed this school year, on May 1, from 7 to 10 p.m in the auditorium. The showcase was split into three main sections: “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” a parody of the original Grimm fairy tales, “Wat’s Wrong,” an imitation of a reality TV show with a bloody twist and “The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza,” a retelling of Greek mythology from a humorous and modern perspective. Every Drama student, regardless of level of Stagecraft, performed in the showcase.
The responsibility of directing and writing the plays fell solely on drama and stagecraft students, according to Sophomore Romi Victuelles, who directed both “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” and “Wat’s Wrong.” He describes how his active role in the play’s production increased his appreciation for drama.
“It made me realize how much goes into actually making plays and how awesome the community is,” Victuelles said. “Just looking around now, I’m seeing so many people with memories I’ve shared, and it’s nice knowing that I have a place I belong.”
Despite the positive memories he made, Victuelles also describes the spontaneous challenges that arose, like a prop book falling apart right before the play began. Hooks meant to keep it hanging slowly broke the book, requiring quick thinking to keep the show moving as Victuelles ordered people to hold the book instead.. Drama teacher Hannah Gould, while acknowledging the complications that affected the play, says she adopted a different mindset for this showcase that helped her throughout the production.
“There were all kinds of challenges that always show up whenever you’re building something like this: people getting sick or dropping out, set pieces not working the way we thought they were going to, costumes not working too,” Gould said. “The thing that really stood out this year is that we were able to handle those with a lot more grace and positivity than ever before. I was always like, ‘This is gonna be fine, and we can totally handle it,’ and then we did, and it was better than fine.”
Alongside the three plays, significant time was also dedicated to distributing awards, ranging from superlatives created by the drama department, like “Most Dynamic Duo” and “Most Dramatic,” to MVHS’ Purple and Gold awards, where teachers nominate students for their dedication and growth. A school-given environmental award was also presented to junior Beck Poltronetti for his performance in the Drama showcase at the FUHSD Earth Day event on April 22, containing a handwritten note from Superintendent Graham Clark.
The final award presented was the Andrew Segal Memorial Scholarship, which offers students of both Drama and Stagecraft who plan to pursue the performing arts in college the opportunity to audition for a scholarship. The scholarship was created to honor late MVHS alum Andrew Segal, who was deeply passionate about the performing arts throughout his life. Senior Rowan Chang was awarded the scholarship, while senior Julian Kwon was selected for the Andrew Segal Teacher’s Choice Award, recognized by Gould for his monologue.
This dedication was shared by senior Shannon Yu, who found the showcase to be a meaningful experience that involved many fun moments that pushed her to bond with other cast members. Yu auditioned this year for the first time and was accepted into Advanced Drama, starring as the lead actress in an earlier MV play, “Antigone.” This showcase marks her last performance in the MV drama department, which is emotionally bittersweet to her.
“This is gonna sound cliche, but you know how people say it is never too late to follow your dreams — that is absolutely true,” Yu said. “As long as you love what you’re doing and you actually care about it, no matter when you start, there is a chance for you to ‘catch up’ or to learn new skills that other people have. I dealt with a lot of that today, feeling a bit underconfident because it was a completely new class with new people, but I definitely gained confidence throughout the year. Once you have a love and passion for something, it shows, and other people will follow you to the ends of the earth.”
