Marysville Indians take to the stage

There are many different clubs and activities available to Marysville High School students. For those who love to perform, the drama club is a great fit. Currently, Marysville's drama club is preparing for two productions, both of which will run in March.

Drama club adviser and English teacher Shawnie Bushnell described the plays: "One is a murder mystery called 'A Fatal Error.' The other is a short, feel-good production about overcoming prejudice. It's called 'Just Like Us.'"

Almost every day after school, the club rehearses in Mrs. Bushnell's classroom. She said that they are a dedicated group. "After they cut drama as a class and made it strictly an extracurricular activity, it was slightly more difficult to find interested kids. But we have a nice-sized group this year, and they're committed."

Members of the drama club had different reasons for getting involved in productions. Junior Chynna Martinez said that she got involved in the fourth grade. "My mom convinced me to join drama, and it stuck," she said. "It's fun to try out different parts and to be in front of people. With drama, sometimes I don't know who I am anymore." Chynna said that she was excited about playing a tree in one of this year's productions. "I like this play," she said. "It's fun and cheesy. And I like cheese."

Junior Abby Wissink also said that she enjoyed acting out different personas. "I'm a sassy political activist in the play this year," she said. "I've been doing drama for a long time, and I enjoy it a lot. It's fun to be someone else."

Drama club president Ian Crane, a senior, talked about the challenges the drama club faces. "We have a limited budget, so we have to make do with a small amount of set materials and costumes and props. But we manage." Ian joined drama last year to be Tweedle-dee in the club's musical performance "Wonderland." Despite any setbacks, he calls acting "exhilarating."

Mrs. Bushnell claimed that the most rewarding part of drama is watching her students develop real-life skills. "I've been involved in drama for 20 years," she said. "And recently, I saw an ad for a car dealership on TV. The manager was one of my old drama students. I was glad to see that even after high school, he was using the confidence he learned in drama to aid him in having a successful career."

Whether speaking for commercials or entertaining an audience, the members of the Marysville High School drama club are ready to perform.

Karah Kemmerly is a senior at Marysville High School. Her column about every sixth week in Education.