New Clarke Central High School fine arts department teacher Emily Button poses in the Black Box room on Aug. 24. Button looks forward to getting her drama students back on stage after months of virtual instruction last year due to COVID-19, which limited students’ ability to act on stage. “Right now, we’re just focusing on the One Act (Play Competition). That’ll be in October,” Button said. “During the spring, we’re going to be working with the chorus and orchestra department, and we’re going to be doing a showcase.” Photo by Lukas Cornish
With a new teacher, the Clarke Central High School drama program is learning to operate under fresh direction.
The lights flash on, and a voice comes over the auditorium loudspeaker, “Ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin.”
The Clarke Central High School drama program plans to return to in-person shows during the 2021-22 school year, as students within the program learn to work with a new instructor, first-year CCHS fine arts department teacher Emily Button.
“My goal is to have (drama) students filter through Intro to Theater, our fundamentals class, and to create relationships (with the students) where they want to take upper level (theater) classes, (and where) they want to be part of the department (for the rest of their highschool careers),” Button said.
Button hopes that while building these relationships she will create a second home for her drama students — a space where they can create and share their passion.
“I want my students to be able to trust me (and) I want to be able to trust them,” Button said. “I want them to have a sense of pride in the work that they do.”
I want my students to be able to trust me (and) I want to be able to trust them. I want them to have a sense of pride in the work that they do.
— Emily Button,
fine arts department teacher
Drama club president Anna Tenner, a senior, is optimistic about the new start for the drama program.
“I think that we will (all) have to learn together, but I’m excited to see how the theater program transforms in the coming years. Hopefully, it flourishes like it did while Harriet Anderson, our old drama teacher, was here,” Tenner said.
Junior Sarah Posey, a member of the Drama Club and advanced theater class, is assisting Tenner with the production of their first performance, a one act play, under Button’s direction.
“Our one act production for this year is going to hopefully be put on stage at the end of October,” Posey said. “We are currently working on posters, so those should probably be up either towards the end of the month or within a month.”
Senior Kaitlyn Ortiz is a new student at CCHS who is currently enrolled in Theater Arts/Fundamentals IV, and hopes to make the most out of her last year in high school by engaging with the curriculum and teacher.
“There’s a new teacher here so I felt like we were both starting from scratch,” Ortiz said. “This drama program is more advanced than my other one so I’m definitely grateful (to be a part of it).”
Even while adjusting to the changes that drama is facing, Tenner looks forward to helping the members of the drama program grow and seeing how the school year plays out.
“I would like to see everyone improve, and I just want to enjoy my last year in CCHS drama, which has become my home at school,” Tenner said.
