Belleville High School’s Tiger Drama program is facing some exciting changes for the 2024-2025 school year including new production staff, new clubs, and new shows.
With former Tiger Drama program director Mrs. Carlin taking a job at Wayne State University and leaving Belleville High School this spring, the opportunity for a new director opened. Mr. Whitehouse, new English and drama teacher, has taken up the position. When asked what he was most excited about and what he’s looking forward to, he said, “I’m most excited about the potential and growth of the program. We have a lot of talented students in the program who are behind the scenes with crew but also on stage as actors. For me, it’s about maintaining that standard of excellence here at BHS. I’m looking forward to finding more students who are interested in theater to be a part of the program and thrive in the environment we’re creating.”
In addition to a new director, the program has also gotten a new producer and vocal director. Mitchie Oliva, who had been already working as the costume director, has taken up the role of producer. The new choir teacher, Mrs. Herrmann, is the new vocal director and will be helping out when rehearsals begin for the spring musical.
The Tiger Program has opened up more opportunities to participate without committing to a full show. Introduced this year, there is now a Drama Club. When asked about the Drama Club, Mr. Whitehouse said, “For not only myself but the executive board team, we wanted Drama Club to be its own thing outside of Tiger Drama. The Tiger Drama program itself is wonderful, but it’s specifically designed for the actors and crew who are part of our stage production. With Drama Club, it’s a chance for all students to be there and get the knowledge of the auditorium and what our program all entails. Whether we’re learning about lights, dramatic acting, or the prep it takes to build a set, Drama Club has all that to offer. Not only that, it’s a fun and creative environment for everyone involved. We’re really focused on making both Tiger Drama and Drama Club a space where everyone can seek out their own individual talents and let it thrive.”
Drama Club is a separate entity from Tiger Drama; because of this, the Drama Club has nothing to do with whatever show is currently in the works. Anyone can show up to Drama Club regardless of Tiger Drama involvement, unlike Tiger Drama which operates with closed rehearsals. The Drama Club places emphasis on educating about the world of theater and granting students new opportunities to explore. The club is working towards being able to become a Thespian Troupe next year to give students at BHS more opportunities for careers in theater. When asking the Drama Club’s Vice President Braylon Hubbard about his personal vision for the club, he said “As vice president, my goal is to expand and have more diversity in the club. I think we have an amazing program but more people just need to see it and be a part of it.” The Drama Club meets weekly from 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm every Monday after school.
This fall, Tiger Drama is putting on a production of the play Arsenic and Old Lace. This dark comedy follows Mortimer Brewster (played by junior Braylon Hubbard), who was living a pretty good and stable life until he discovered on a visit to his aunts (played by sophomore Ella Convery and junior Sydney Cramer) that they have been murdering people. Mortimer discovers that his family is more crazy and deranged than he was originally led to believe. It falls onto Mortimer to assist his aunts in avoiding the law whilst preserving his mental wellbeing. Performances for Arsenic and Old Lace will be on Thursday November 21, 2024 at 7 pm, Friday November 22, 2024 at 8 pm, and Saturday November 23, 2024 at 2 pm and 8 pm.
In the winter, Tiger Drama is putting on their fourth annual production of Random Acts of Theater, affectionately nicknamed RATS. RATS is an opportunity for upperclassmen to bring their visions to a stage and for underclassmen to showcase their acting abilities. Student directors pick a scene from any media whether that be a scene from a musical, tv show, or movie. RATS is a fundraiser for the Tiger Drama program to continue to put on shows. Auditions are Monday, December 9th from 2:15pm to 5:00pm.
In the springtime, they’re putting on a production of SpongeBob the Musical! Following the same familiar characters from the beloved cartoon, this adaptation follows SpongeBob SquarePants as he goes on a journey of self discovery while saving Bikini Bottom. Auditions will be right after Winter Break some time in January. More specific information will be provided by the directing staff to the Drama Club soon!
Tiger Drama is always looking for new talented individuals to come and perform with them. When asked what he would say to anyone on the fence about joining Tiger Drama, Mr. Whitehouse said, “For the students on the fence, take a chance and get out of your comfort zone. I was a student in high school who always wanted to do drama and perform. I didn’t audition for drama until my senior year, and it’s one of my biggest regrets from my time in high school. I would want the students who are interested in drama but nervous about the prospect to come to a Drama Club meeting and see if it’s something for you. You’ll never know how much you might enjoy it.” Additionally, when asked what his favorite part of being in the program is, Braylon Hubbard said, “My favorite part of being in Tiger Drama is definitely all the great people I get to meet. Everyone is so different and unique and it just helps you learn so much about people.”
Send an email to Mr. Whitehouse for more information about Tiger Drama! They hope to see you there!
