Members of the Mount Union Drama Club, from left to right: (back row) Rocco Loner, Dorian Loner, Ava McVey, Leah Smith, Shelby Harris, (front row) Haley Atherton, Keelyn McConaughey, Madeline Shugarts.
By LILLIAN BOOKHEIMER | Journalism Student, Mount Union Area Senior High School
Mount Union, Pa. — The Mount Union Area High School Drama Club recently performed a three-play show, taking on one of its most ambitious projects yet. The club is filled with talented and dedicated members, and adviser Nancy Corson is leading the program once again this year. Ms. Corson has been the adviser since 1993, and her long history with the program has helped shape it into what it is today.
Ms. Corson first became involved with the Drama Club more than three decades ago. When she began teaching at Mount Union in the spring of 1992, Jane Wagner was directing the musicals. In the fall, Mrs. Wagner asked her to take over. “She had already chosen the spring musical Hello, Dolly!, a very intimidating one with which to begin,” Ms. Corson recalled.
Over the years, Ms. Corson has taken on many creative challenges. The goal of this three-play night was to give every Drama Club member a chance to be on stage. “We used to do them by class: freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Each class chose their own plays and did their own casting, sets, costumes, and props,” she explained. At that time, the club had many more members and even performed as many as eight plays in one night. With lower enrollment and students involved in multiple activities, the club eventually transitioned to mixing grade levels and choosing plays based on rehearsal availability.
This year’s goal is the same as always, to ensure everyone has time to shine. Ms. Corson believes it is important that every member gets their moment, whether they are a senior or someone brand new to acting. “I empower them to make decisions for their show and to guide each other,” she said. She describes herself not as a director, but as a coach.
This time around, the performers chose three plays—Text This, Dad-Joke Intervention, and Burglars, Bunglars, and Neighborhood Thieves—from the club’s extensive play library. New members who have little acting experience are supported by more experienced students, and Ms. Corson encourages them to collaborate and learn from one another. Some of the best moments even happen through improvisation during rehearsals.
Ms. Corson hopes students gain much more than stage experience. She wants them to build confidence, discover a love of theatre, experience the joy of entertaining others, and learn cooperation and organization. Students also develop skills in memorization and improvisation, especially when things don’t go as planned.
“It is a brave act to lay yourself bare on the stage,” Ms. Corson said. “When everything goes well, it is a feeling like none other. When circumstances do not line up well, and a stage performance does not go as planned, it shows the grit of the actors and actresses who forge on through to the end.”
The Drama Club members worked extremely hard to bring these three plays to life, and their dedication showed in every performance.
This article was published as part of Ms. Dimoff’s Journalism class at Mount Union Area Senior High School.
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