Lines, laughter and leadership skills – The Dickinson Press

DICKINSON — Creating transferable leadership skills can be fun, something three students from Dickinson High School (DHS) are showcasing by directing their own one-act plays. Alongside a cast of their fellow students, these three first-time directors will be on stage at 3:30 p.m. on May 11 at the Dorothy Stickney Auditorium at Dickinson State University. Victor Pavlish, Annabelle Dolechek and Jackson Halvorson each took time out of rehearsal to speak with the Press about their motivation for the arts, future goals, and what benefits they’ve received from participating in the arts.

“It helps with leadership skills because everyone’s relying on you,” said Dolechek. “You get that experience of seeing what these people need, and integrating other people’s ideas, too. Things get serious during tech week, especially with homework because I’m a senior, but I always try to remind myself that the goal is to have fun and connect with my classmates.”

Those connections have formed a network of support for many of the students involved. One student described her continuing involvement in theater as a way of showing up for her fellow actors. The group also has a talisman of sorts, ‘Emotional Support Derek,’ that they share with each other in moments of stress, and one student pointed out that the ‘toxic culture of theater’ is truly a myth at DHS.

“Theater is a good place for people to come and be themselves,” said Ollie, also known as Stella Treat, who has a goal of performing in the musicals ‘Chicago’ and ‘Cabaret. “We try to make it a very positive environment, and it’s a welcoming community. Anyone can join.”

“We’re all buddies,” agreed DJ Seidel, another member of the cast.

One of the three plays, ‘Employees Must Wash Hands….Before Murder’ is directed by senior Jackson Halvorson, who recently brought home a superior acting award at state competition for his role as the judge in ‘Goldilocks on Trial.’ Halvorson, who has plans to attend DSU in the fall, described the process of bringing his vision for the script to life through set design, including designing the large hand-painted menu that forms part of the set. He says his experience working in foodservice has informed his approach to directing the play.

“I do know what it’s like to be in a kitchen, and I’m using that background to further craft this experience for the audience,” said Halvorson. “Not only is this a suspenseful murder mystery, but it’s really funny with lots of subtle humor. I think it will bring back a lot of good and possibly tough memories for attendees and provide a laugh.”

One of the other plays, led by

Annabelle Dolechek

, is also influenced by the director’s personal experience. Dolechek said her choice of ‘Do Not Go Gentle’ came from a positive experience seeing a previous performance of the play.

“It touched my heart,” said Dolecheck. “I think plays like this can help because sometimes people think they’re alone in an experience. Seeing a story like this can make you feel like you’re not the only one going through something, and you can see what’s helped someone else in your shoes. Stories can help people process.”

Karen Wagner oversees the DHS theater department and previously taught music for 30 years in addition to working as an accompanist for musicals at Trinity Schools since 2014. Wagner said the performances offer an opportunity for the community to see the achievements of the students involved.

“We’d like the community to know how hard these students have worked,” said Wagner. “They’ve put in a lot of hours doing this, and we do this for the audience.”

According to Victor Pavlish, one of the student directors, seeing both the cast and audience enjoy the performance is how that hard work pays off.

“It’s so nice taking a bunch of words and turning them into a story, and then seeing the audience enjoy it,” said Pavlish. “ Most of all, it’s great seeing the actors get to have a good time.”

That perspective is echoed by their fellow students and cast members. Even though these have been their directorial debuts, the cast all commented positively on their experience being directed by their peers.

“I think it’s a lot better because you know the director personally,” said Ollie. “It’s easier to tell them up front what you need.”

“It’s really refreshing having someone direct who sees you as an equal and gives you respect as their equal,” said Kayden Smith. “You know they’ve already been there in your shoes.”

“It’s not just a final send off for the seniors,” said Leo Beenblossom who also received a superior acting award at state for their role as Baby Bear in Goldilocks on Trial. “The compliments they give and the suggestions they make feel more real. It makes it a more relaxed experience and something I want to do more of.”

The three plays on May 11 will be ‘Game of Tiaras’ by Don Zolidas, directed by Victor Pavlish, ‘Employees Must Wash Hands…Before Murder,’ also written by Don Zolidas and directed by Jackson Halvorson, and ‘Do Not Go Gentle,’ written by Suzan L. Zeder and directed by Annabelle Dolechek. Wagner said the May 11 performances have become a reality with the generosity of Dickinson State University, and that two of the student directors are already planning to attend Dickinson State University in the fall as freshmen and continue their work in future productions.

“DSU has very generously allowed us use of the facilities,” said Wagner. “Sarah Crossingham and her students deserve a special thank you. There’s a bright future for the department.”

Note: ‘Game of Tiaras’ and ‘Employees Must Wash Hands….Before Murder’ are produced with special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. ‘Do Not Go Gentle’ is produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois.