New Trier High School Student Directing Showcase Marks 20 Years

WINNETKA, IL — New Trier High School is hosting a free showcase of more than a dozen short plays directed by students over four days, starting Thursday.

The 20th annual spring directing project showcase takes place at the Hayes-McCausland Theatre at New Trier's Winnetka campus, 385 Winnetka Ave.

Students enrolled in Theatre 4 classes began the process of staging student-directed shorts in September.

Those 22 productions included 55 student actors in a variety of types of plays performed this spring, according to district staff. Student directors in good standing then were given the option of presenting them again as part of the showcase, and 14 of them are doing so.

Nina Lynn, the instructor of Theatre 4 class, said in a statement that this year's plays are a great representation of the interests, perspectives and personalities of New Trier's class of 2024.

“These seniors have demonstrated such resiliency and creativity since they started their high school careers on zoom in the fall of 2020,” Lynn said. “These Directing Projects are a great demonstration of how much they’ve supported one another and learned together."

All of the plays contain mature subject matter, according to district staff, and they may be unsuitable for more sensitive audiences.

Hilerre Kirsch, the performing arts coordinator at the Winnetka campus, said the student directing showcase is an important part of the season.

“It’s a chance for our advanced students to develop and demonstrate a specific directorial point of view and exercise their artistic voices as part of our larger season,” Kirsch said.

Find the full schedule below. No tickets are required for general admission seating.

Thursday, May 16 at 4:30 p.m.

Twilight Zone: Nothing In The Dark by George Clayton Johnson, Directed by Jackson Hiltabrand
Featuring David VanDamme, Mireya Devaraj, Kate Malikowski

Greensleeves by Joyce Carol Oates, Directed by Tolga Bozkurt
Featuring Sydney Rusie, Jack Porter

A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking by John Ford Noonan, Directed by Tori Stone
Featuring Tessa Gardiner, Mara Saltzman

Friday, May 17 at 7 p.m.

Kisses of Convenience by Kaya Jansen, Directed by Kaya Jansen
Featuring Jared Famacion, Maggie Ruey

Athena by Gracie Gardner, Directed by Izzy Ornstein
Featuring Addison Maute, Deena Husain

The Shadow Box by Michael Cristofer, Directed by Grace Weir
Featuring Jorie Collins, Eden Pave

Saturday, May 18 at 11 a.m.

The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter, Directed by Emily Boyd
Featuring Charlie Corley, Carli Winn

A Game by Dennis E. Noble, Directed by Maddie Brady
Featuring Reilly Leahy, Mia Soffer, Claire Karnes, Katie Mae Krupski

This Is A Play by Daniel MacIvor, Directed by Miles Davidson
Featuring Haven Turner, Devin Gibori, Julia Dale

Finding a Chord by Catherine Keyser, Directed by Lucy Yager-Madden
Featuring Lily Generes, Gwen Girard

Wednesday, May 22 at 4:30 p.m.

Admissions by Colleen Neuman, Directed by Sophia Burnell
Featuring Charlotte Crocker, Alex McElvenny, Alice Green

Oprah Made Me Do It by Bradley Hayward, Asher Alcantara
Featuring Thomas Franklin, Sivan Belkind, Shea Straitiff

Driver’s Test by Don Zolidis, Directed by Suvali Dhar
Featuring Charlotte Budington, Phoebe Kunzler

I and You by Lauren Gunderson, Directed by Megan Trubey
Featuring Nate Gale, Caroline Wolfe