What’s recently happened?
Boone Grove High School’s Drama Club just finished its fall play production. The group performed “The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde,” and it was a major success.
“I think the show turned out very well and was definitely one of the best shows Boone’s Drama Club has ever put on,” said Junior and Member Nathan Mallory.
Auditions began early in the season, and roles were in high demand.
The lead roles of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde went to Mallory, and two other big ones, Rachel and David, went to Grier Goetzinger and Gavin Davis.
There were many supporting roles filled by other members of the club, and the teamwork displayed really made the show memorable.
“The process was extremely chill. The cast got along very well, and things just came together in a very natural way,” said Mallory.
After three months of rehearsal, the cast and tech crew were ready for opening night. Showings went on from November 10 to November 12.
Boone’s Drama Club gave the audience an amazing show. The school is thankful for all that it does and hopes for success in its future productions.
What’s coming up?
The Drama Club is a year-round organization. In the fall, it does a play, while in the spring, it has a musical.
There was heavy anticipation ahead of the announcement of the upcoming musical. After such a great play, the club needed to pick something memorable, and that's exactly what it did.
“Mean Girls” was named the 2024 spring musical. Auditions haven’t started yet, but there is already talk of who wants what role.
“Audition dates for this show are not yet confirmed, but they will most likely be at the start of January,” said Mallory.
Because the spring production is a musical, there will likely be new faces and voices that participate. With a musical like “Mean Girls,” the bar is set pretty high, but Boone knows that the Drama Club will be able to pull it off.
Staff spotlight:
Stacy Davis has been the high school Drama Club director at Boone for six years now. She grew up in Chicago, and her passion for the performing arts has stayed with her her whole life.
“It is something I have been involved in since I was 8 years old. My first performance was a Harlem Renaissance at a production being held at Chicago Park District in 1988,” said Davis.
She enjoys directing Boone’s Drama Club for a variety of reasons. Not only does she get to do what she loves, she gets to see the actors develop a love for it as well.
“My favorite part is watching our actors grow personally from the experiences they have on stage and seeing a diverse group of volunteers help each performance to ensure everything from set-up to shut-down is as perfect as can be,” said Davis.
Davis doesn’t help just from the sidelines. Along with directing, she gets hands-on with projects. She, along with some members, even reupholstered a couch for one of the shows.
Along with this, some of her favorite memories are of her and the students working together on different aspects of the show.
“One memory that sticks out is making the costumes and creating a hair and makeup plot alongside my student Mitchell Saco. We had so much fun getting into the ‘80s era,” said Davis.
Out of the many shows the Drama Club puts on, “Chicago” was Davis’ favorite musical because of the jazz culture it brought. Her favorite play would be “The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde,” the most recent performance and the one the club will be taking to Regionals.
Outside of directing at school, the performing arts are still present in her life.
“I love to support local theaters, so in my free time, I'm out watching other productions,” said Davis.
She knows how much the performing arts can impact people. In the future, Davis hopes to open a nonprofit community black box theater.
Student spotlight:
Nathan Mallory is a junior at Boone and has been attending the school system for seven years.
While Mallory is involved in extracurricular activities like Key Club, Student Council, Spell Bowl, and choir, his main passion lies with drama.
“Drama Club is easily the most important club to me since it embodies exactly what I want to do as my future career,” said Mallory.
He’s been doing drama since sixth grade, and his love for it has only grown stronger over the years.
In the most recent play, Mallory was given the lead role. At first, he wasn’t sure how exciting this production would be, but it ended up becoming an important part of his year.
“The roles of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde immediately jumped out at me as an opportunity to finally showcase my talent as an actor, considering I’ve never had a lead prior,” said Mallory.
Mallory was thrilled to receive the lead role. He loves being in the Drama Club, and this made the production even more exciting.
“Every person I have met through Drama Club has each had a unique impact on my life, and I wouldn’t trade the friendships I’ve made for the world,” said Mallory.
Mallory has kept his good grades consistent throughout the school years. He’s dedicated to the choir and hopes to receive the role of King for next year’s Madrigal Dinner.
In regards to hobbies outside of school, he’s still immersed in the performing arts. Mallory writes his own scripts, films them himself, and edits them.
“It allows me to have fun with friends and sharpen my skills as an actor when I am not on the stage. I post all of my short films on YouTube on a channel called ArcticNate,” said Mallory.
Mallory has already achieved so much during his years in Drama Club, and he hopes to continue a career in this department in the future.