DramaFest is just around the corner! This yearly CHS drama tradition is beloved by many but not nearly as well-known and appreciated as it deserves to be.
Last year’s DramaFest promotional poster via @capitaltheatre on Instagram
DramaFest is a festival of one-act plays completely directed, produced, and often written by your peers. It is in some respects a “lower-stakes” version of the larger mainstage productions our theater department puts on. Senior drama student and former DramaFest participant Kai LaBuda offers more insight as to why DramaFest is so valuable. The large seasonal productions – like A Midsummer Night’s Dream – cost a lot of money to put on. Most notably, the performing rights to the script must be bought, and this can be very expensive. Even if money was not an issue, since these plays are well-established, well-known, and fairly long, they require a lot of labor. For this reason, Ms. Cummins (CHS’s theater teacher) takes on directing responsibilities and most larger roles – behind the stage and on it – are filled by upperclassmen.
While these plays are extremely valuable, DramaFest provides hands-on experience for students of all experiences, ages, and interests that is hard to find anywhere else. While the experience can be stressful, it’s extremely valuable in preparing students for their future, even if that may not be in the theater industry. Participants are forced to practice effective and efficient communication with their peers. Kai calls it a sort of “social challenge” to practice making authoritative decisions and communicating ideas to your fellow students in set design, tech, etc. DramaFest helps students “develop their creative problem-solving skills,” that are relevant in all aspects of life, says Ms. Cummins.
Kai LaBuda as Nick Bottom in CHS’s production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ 10/17/24 (Rowan Morgan Pomush)
DramaFest can also be a “testing ground” for underclassmen or people new to the theater program, according to Kai. Since the plays are shorter, more people get the chance to try out acting in a lower-stakes environment. Kai also notes that DramaFest is valuable to everyone involved, not just actors and directors. It can be, in a sense, “training” for future lead set designers and other people who help mainstage shows come together from behind the scenes. Using the example of set design, the small group of people who take on the brunt of the work for mainstage productions differs from the set
designers for DramaFest. The DramaFest set designers usually become future lead designers for mainstage shows and use what they learned during the festival to make future shows as great as possible.
The festival can also be a chance for students to express themselves and find community. Ms Cummins says that since students are able to write their own plays, they can address unique ideas and stories that may be more impactful or resonant with our students than mainstage shows may be.
As DramaFest gets closer, it highlights the creativity and teamwork of CHS students. This festival not only allows students to show their talent but also helps them build important skills for the future. With chances for self-expression and community connection, DramaFest is an event worth celebrating. Everyone at CHS is encouraged to support their peers and enjoy the exciting performances that are about to unfold.
