Last week, students at Metea were given a sneak peek at two of the theater program’s “Make A Scene” plays. Over the weekend, the program presented all six of them in the Black Box. The event consisted of acts directed by six student directors, including Ethan St. Germain, RJ Schlesinger, Anusha Bansal, Julia Jansen, Jason Zerafa, and Alexis Rizzi.

The cast and crew of the showcase began production in the fall. The scenes were developed over several months, and the students’ hard work definitely paid off; the showcase got positive feedback all around, and nearly all of the shows were sold out.

The actors delivered phenomenal performances. Each scene was noteworthy for its smooth script, bold characters, comedic timing, and its overall cohesiveness. The scenes ranged from being about a young man conflicted about his success as a lawyer in “Promotions,” to a woman breaking free of her husband and stereotype as a wife in “A Doll’s House,” to a boy torn between two sides and struggling with his identity in “50/50”, expressed as a musical. Among the other acts presented were “The Great Gatsby,” “Othello,” and “Jekyll and Hyde.” Each of the scenes were captivating and drew laughter and emotion from the audience, and the talent of each of the actors reflected in their performances. Additionally, the tech crew did an amazing job enhancing the show with lights and effects. Being up on the catwalk, I was able to see firsthand how the team operated everything from above.

Metea theater wowed viewers with these student-directed scenes, and there is no question that there is a lot of talent in the program. I look forward to see what Metea theater students will surprise us with in the next show – “Aida,” the spring musical, will definitely be a must-see.