Since my freshman year, the Oak Park and River Forest High School theater department has been like a second home to me. In my time here I have participated in nine shows and have made lifelong friends through the department. As a freshman, I found out about the Studio 200 program, in which four seniors every year are selected to direct their own show; I knew that would be my ultimate goal. 

I applied last year for the program and was selected to direct a play of my choosing. On Sept. 25, “Dial M for Murder” will go up. 

“Dial M for Murder” is a thriller about a British couple, Margot (played by senior Anna Bullock) and Tony (played by senior Desmond Murphy), who are visited by an old friend, the American author Maxine Hadley (played by freshman  Tessa Pruden). However, unbeknownst to Margot, Tony is plotting to kill her, both for her affair with Maxine and for the familial inheritance she has left him in her will. 

This play features very complex relationships, and this is a large part of why I chose it. I have always loved digging to the core of human behavior and exploring what makes people commit the most violent acts. In my opinion, this show explores that side of humanity perfectly within the confines of the most unexpected environment. 

Part of why I picked such a dense show is not only so that I can guide my actors through the material, but so that I can challenge myself to learn as much as I can as a director. Having previously assistant directed two shows at OPRF, “Little Women” and “Proof,” I already had a sense of what it was like to be on the other side of the audition table. However I was not ready for everything that would come with this responsibility. 

Having every aspect of the show rest on you is a daunting feeling. I constantly worry about whether or not I am pushing my actors too far or whether that shade looks good on the set wall, as well as the many props I must find and keep track of. 

But this feeling of responsibility comes with the greatest feelings of joy and pride. Through my role as a leader I hope that I am able to teach the members of my cast some of the valuable lessons I learned for myself from my own directors in the past. I hope that this show becomes not only a way for me to express myself, but also I hope to be able to create the same space for my cast members that has been created for me. 

At the end of the show’s run, per Studio 200 tradition, I will give my senior speech in the little green room behind the curtain of Studio 200. Surrounded by the names of hundreds of shows that came before, we will all put our own names up on that wall for future shows to see. 

As I leave my final show in Studio 200, I am sure that part of me will feel like I am leaving my home, but I know that future student actors and directors will make it their own.