As the curtain rises on the 2024-2025 theater season at Stevenson, excitement surrounds the selections. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time will take the stage in November, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will “bee” the winter musical, and Stevenson Follies will return for a one-night-only performance this spring.
According to Director of Theater Kim Schmittgens, selecting the lineup is a thoughtful and meticulous process: “It is a long process of reading plays, musicals, and scripts to find pieces that cater towards the student body that we have as well as challenge us in certain ways.” Schmittgens emphasizes the intentionality behind the show selection: “Our goal was to offer a diverse range of productions that challenge our students and engage our audience in meaningful ways.”
Katie Cardinalli, Director of Technical Theater, shares her enthusiasm for the season:
This year’s shows are really focused [on] identity, whether it is understanding more about yourself and those around you or finding the confidence to speak up or to try something you have never done before. High schoolers know these feelings and experiences well; it is a time in your life where you are trying to get through the now but also try to figure out your future and who you are as a person. It's hard.
Schmittgens shares that the department provides many unique opportunities: “We give huge responsibilities to the students. Normally in a lot of high school theaters, students don’t do the lights or the sound. Ms. Cardinalli trains the students so that after a while they are able to run those jobs independently.”
Cardinalli elaborates on the idea of student involvement, sharing that Stevenson offers more hands-on experience than other theaters of a similar level:
Students can be as involved as they want to be. I have had student costume designers, prop leads, technical directors, lighting designers and sound designers, which is rare at this level of educational theater. Most people don't get the opportunity to design a show until they are juniors or seniors in college.
In terms of auditioning for shows and the casting process, Schmittgens comments that she “would rather work with someone who has little experience rather than the most talented actor with attitude. Someone who just loves to do theater and wants to be a part of our community is what I look for.”
Finally, as a piece of advice for people interested in the performing arts department, specifically theater, Schmittgens invites anyone and everyone to participate:
If you feel like you want to try, you should. We are here for you, and we welcome people. Whether being an actor, a member of stage management and tech, we will find a place for you. It may not be what you initially thought was important, but there are always lessons to be learned. Theater is valuable for your life and can always teach you something.
With a season built to challenge both actors and audience, each production offers something unique. From a deeply emotional journey in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time to the interactive fun of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, each show was chosen with purpose. Here is a closer look at what each production will bring to the stage this year.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Schmittgens views The Curious Incident of
the Dog in the Night-Time as a “journey of discovery,” and an important story to bring to the stage. She describes the piece as “beautiful, fun, and so important,” and believes it will resonate with the audience. “It acknowledges that we all are on different journeys and that unites us. No matter how we see the world, there is a place for all of us,” she says. Schmittgens hopes the production will give audiences an intimate look into the life of Christopher, the play’s protagonist, who sees the world in a unique way. The themes of equity and inclusivity, she explains, align closely with Stevenson’s core values.
That being said, Schmittgens shares that the show is quite difficult, since all actors stay onstage for the entire time. Additionally, she is working hard to make the most of the limited resources the department has: “We have to deal with the realities of a high school budget and work within the space we have, which is not always conducive to the shows we want to do.” Schmittgens remains optimistic, though, explaining that “if we do our job as actors, the audience will go on a journey with the characters, regardless of whether we have an elaborate set or not. We are making the best of what we have.”
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee:
This year marks the first time Schmittgens is directing a musical at Stevenson for the second time. Reflecting on the decision to return to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, she highlights the benefits of the production choice; “It’s exciting because of the improvisational elements. Audience members are brought on stage, which makes the experience different each time.” She also points out the depth of the characters in this year’s shows. “They are not caricatures,” she explains, elaborating that “they are real people, and our actors have to figure out how to step into their skin, even when the characters are nothing like them.”
Stevenson Follies:
With the busy schedule of activities in April–prom, AP exams, spring family weekend, the dance concert, and spring music concert– the theater department will once again offer Stevenson Follies, a one-night-only performance that features a variety of acts. Schmittgens sees the Follies as a creative outlet where students can explore different forms of performance: “Whether you write a one-act, direct a piece, perform a monologue, or sing a musical theater song, everyone is welcome. Every year, the show will be different!”
Another benefit of Stevenson Follies is that it gives seniors who are three-sport athletes a chance to perform onstage one night before they graduate. If the department did a full-length play, an athlete would have to decide between their sport or the show due to rehearsals and practices conflicting. Schmittgens elaborates on the importance of rehearsal: “Rehearsal is super important and crucial to the process. People are not always aware that the time commitment of being an actor is like being on a sports team. For our traditional shows, we rehearse every day after school, sometimes on Saturdays. Towards the end we also have evening rehearsals as we get closer to the show.”
While Stevenson Follies also requires commitment, the timing of rehearsals is more adaptable, since Schmittgens is able to meet the needs of each act. Overall, Stevenson Follies is a nice culmination of family weekend that offers more people the opportunity to step on stage who
traditionally would not be able to.
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