As of next year, Green Room and Central’s Encore! will be designing and performing their own musicals. Since the school opened 11 years ago, the spring musical has been a joint community event, but next year, each school will work on their own.
“There were two main reasons we made the decision. One, it will give students more opportunities. Our programs have really grown over the years, and it’s difficult to accommodate everyone. Now, without competition between both schools, there will be more opportunities for students. The second reason is we hope this is a step toward getting an auditorium here,” said fine arts department chair Mark Lard.
Besides benefitting students, the decision will also provide valuable rehearsal time.
“We have to bus to Central right now, and it takes up a lot of rehearsal time. It will be great next year to be able to rehearse immediately after school,” said theatre director and Green Room sponsor Teslen Sadowski.
A separate musical will also open new doors for staff members. English teacher Clare McConville will be co-directing the musical next year with Sadowski, which is new for them as Central has usually provided a director in years past.
“I will be directing both the fall musical and the winter straight show,” she said. “I am excited to be a part of it.”
Although there are many exciting aspects of the decision, there are also challenges to overcome in the future.
“It’s a challenge to work in the Black Box [theatre] because it’s a limited space, but Ms. Sadowski already has a vision,” Lard said.
The other question that arises is whether the relationship and collaboration will continue between the two theatre companies.
“We will still have a connection. There aren’t rivalries, and we will still support each other,” Sadowski said.