Drama Club president Anna Tenner, a senior, sits in the Black Box Theater surrounded by various theater props on Dec. 7. Tenner has experienced the pressure and fast-paced routine of an opening act many times. “Opening night is really stressful because you’re thinking like, ‘Are my parents going to be here? Is the show going to go well? Am I going to forget all of my lines? Does my costume fit correctly?’” Tenner said. “You have a million things going through your mind, but if you channel that into your energy and the energy of your castmates, you can calm yourself down.” Photo by Aza Khan
Senior Anna Tenner has become a leader in the Drama Program through her passion and commitment to theater.
Butterflies circle around her stomach. Her mind flashes through all her lines before she steps onto the stage. Spotlights blind her, and eyes watch from across Mell Auditorium. The show has begun.
Drama Club President Anna Tenner, a senior, has taken part in theater since she was young, constantly pushing herself and developing her burning passion with each performance.
“I (didn’t) even like the rehearsal process all that much, until I got on stage. I was like, ‘Oh, wait, this is actually really fun.’ And then I just kept on doing show after show.”
— Anna Tenner,
senior and Drama Club president
“I was always drawn to music and movement. When we did elementary school plays, I was never satisfied with my part. I always wanted more lines to say, I always wanted more time on stage, I wanted to be one of the special characters. I don’t know why, but I was always drawn to just being out there,” Tenner said.
Tenner’s talent for the stage comes from years of experience. Her first show, “Shrek the Musical,” was performed at Athens Little Playhouse in 2015, and inspired her to continue theater.
“I played the third little pig,” Tenner said. “It was such a weird experience the first time. I (didn’t) even like the rehearsal process all that much, until I got on stage. I was like, ‘Oh, wait, this is actually really fun.’ And then I just kept on doing show after show.”
“I was always drawn to music and movement. When we did elementary school plays, I was never satisfied with my part. I always wanted more lines to say, I always wanted more time on stage, I wanted to be one of the special characters. I don’t know why, but I was always drawn to just being out there.”
— Anna Tenner,
senior and Drama Club President
Drama Club president and senior Anna Tenner rehearses in the Mell Auditorium for their show, “Treasures and Tribulations” on Dec. 6. As testament to her career in theater, Tenner understands the anxiety that can manifest before a performance. “The stage fright comes back for like two seconds, and then you walk on stage and it’s fine. Some people, especially when they’re new, will be very, very nervous right before their first performance for the first like hour,” Tenner said, “I always just try to think that the worst thing that’s going to happen is that it’s going to be awkward for three minutes or something and then people will forget about it.” Photo by Aza Khan
After her first performance, theater became a constant facet of Tenner’s life, a passion which her family has supported.
“There are other things that I’m interested in and there are other things that I do, but nothing is more important than theater,” Tenner said. “When I was little, whenever my parents wanted to punish me, they knew that they couldn’t touch theater. They could take away electronics, they could banish me outside for three hours, but they couldn’t take away theater.”
With the Clarke Central High School Drama Club, Tenner has had the opportunity to pursue her passion with other dedicated students.
“My first thought about (CCHS Drama) was just, ‘I love drama and this is the place that I need to be.’ I had already done drama in middle school and I was already accustomed to it, but it was just a completely different environment and I loved it,” Tenner said.
“My first thought about (CCHS Drama) was just, ‘I love drama and this is the place that I need to be.’”
— Anna Tenner,
senior and Drama Club president
Since joining the CCHS Drama Program during her freshman year, the many facets of the program Tenner is involved in have changed.
“Drama Club is no longer responsible for shows like they were when (Anderson) was here. Drama Club is a club for students looking to advance their talent of acting through improv,” fine arts department teacher Emily Button said. “(Drama) class puts on productions.”
Senior and Drama Club president Anna Tenner poses with a crown prop on Dec 7. For Tenner, being surrounded by dedicated peers makes the program more enjoyable. “I believe theater is the best when you’re with your friends. Some of my best shows have been nightmares of like, wrong costumes and the makeup was bad,” Tenner said, “But I was with my friends and I was having fun the entire time so it wasn’t that tragic. Then a show can go perfectly, but if you’re not with people that you really get along with, it’s not going to be fun.” Photo by Aza Khan
In spring of 2021, former CCHS fine arts department teacher Harriet Anderson retired after 26 years of leading the Drama Program. As a role model for Tenner, Anderson played an important part in developing her skills as an actor and her devotion to theater into a prominent place in the Drama Program.
“(Anderson) taught me how to be a better actor and teacher,” Tenner said. “She always gave me amazing notes for improvement, and she was great at teaching me the importance of professionalism.”
After a semester under Button, Tenner has maintained her involvement in drama, and continues to hold a large role in the program, even with a new leader of the department.
“Anna is one of my upper-level drama students,” Button said. “She is responsible for leading the Drama Club, (and) helps keep productions rolling. I delegate tasks (like costume fittings) to her, and she helps make sure those tasks are done.”
“(Tenner) was like the calm in the storm. She was sending people all over the place, but she wasn’t frazzled. She’s that leader when you need someone who is going to be in the moment and doing the right thing.”
— Taylor Perrault,
social studies department teacher
Tenner’s rise to leadership has landed her in a role that provides direct support for Button and the Drama Club.
“As the Drama Club president, I usually do most of my work as a leader and an example for the Drama Club,” Tenner said. “I lead warmups before shows and rehearsal, and I lead the Drama Club meetings and games. I also make sure that everyone is calm and confident before a show and try to quell any nerves.”
Social studies department teacher Taylor Perrault has known and taught Tenner since she was a freshman, and witnessed her natural leadership and charisma first hand.
“I remember before the production of Radium Girls, (Drama Club was) meeting (in my room) and almost everybody (looked) to Anna. She was like the calm in the storm,” Perrault said. “She was sending people all over the place, but she wasn’t frazzled. She’s that leader when you need someone who is going to be in the moment and doing the right thing.”
Senior and Drama Club president Anna Tenner sits in the Black Box surrounded by a collection of props. Through experience on stage, the Drama department has taught her how to think improvisationally and move on her feet. “Once you make a mistake, there’s just no choice. You can’t be like, ‘Actually, sorry, audience, we’re gonna take that back.’ You don’t get to do that, you just have to move on,” Tenner said. Photo by Aza Khan
Drama Club member Lillian Presley, a junior, believes that Tenner’s devotion to theater is what drives her to lead the class so fervently.
“She’s very passionate about Drama class. I remember feeling so distraught when something would go wrong, and her being like, ‘It’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be okay,’” Presley said. “She worked so hard on everything, every show that she’s ever been in. She’s very goal-driven, and she tries her absolute 100% for everything.”
Tenner hopes that her involvement and dedication to her community combined with her leadership skills will bring her back to the classroom in the future.
““I love helping kids find their voice, and I love the community that theater is. You see yourself in a lot of (the kids). I want to do what people have done for me before, and in some ways do it better.”
— Anna Tenner,
senior and Drama Club president
“I want to be a high school drama teacher. I love helping kids find their voice, and I love the community that theater is,” Tenner said. “You see yourself in a lot of (the kids). I want to do what people have done for me before, and in some ways do it better.”
Whether Tenner decides to pursue a career in education or finds passion in another field, Drama Club’s impact on her is undeniable.
“(Drama Club has) given me a work ethic, give(n) me that creative freedom paired with professionalism, so it’s not like anything I’ve ever known,” Tenner said. “Everybody is there to work, everybody’s there to do a job. Theater is a very freeing experience, and to do it with other people that take it seriously is just a whole other level.”
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