Hamilton Drama Presents: Fire Exit!
All photos submitted by Kendall Syslack.
Kendall Syslack
The Hamilton Drama program is bringing the heat this fall with their competitive One Act play, Fire Exit, by Stacie Lents. The show perfectly encapsulates the drama department’s 2023-24 theme, friendship.
The cast embodying the theme of friendship.
The play follows the stories of five teenagers, (senior Jillian Arthur, senior Cash Campbell, sophomore Lauren Steighner, senior Kendall Syslack, and senior Leah Wysocki) as they recall the day of their school’s fire, an incident that took the life of a student. Everyone seems to think they know what happened, yet the truth couldn’t be anymore unknown.
Members of the cast answered a few questions regarding their experience in the show:
What is your favorite aspect of the show?
“I’ve loved getting to know everybody in the cast. This show has really brought us together, as the topics that we have to convey are pretty heavy.” - Jill Arthur
“The show is full of monologues, rather than face to face interactions, which is not something that we usually take on. It’s really cool to do a show with a unique style.” - Leah Wysocki
Do you relate to your character?
“My character, Rudy, has to learn to forgive himself to let go of his guilt throughout the show. This is something that I struggle with personally, so it has been rewarding to follow Rudy’s development as I can improve my own habits.” - Cash Campbell
“My character, Morgan, constantly questions the fire’s investigation, as well as the accuracy of her classmates’ stories. I can relate to that aspect of Morgan, as I struggle with not knowing all the facts in a situation, as it can be difficult to sit with uncertainty.” - Lauren Steighner
“I always think there’s value in bringing heavy material to students. This allows students to dig deeper into harder topics, more complicated characters, and a more involved process of working collaboratively. ”
Cast members dig into complex emotions for their latest performance
The one act is being directed by Ms. Sarah Plamann and Abby Bloomquist, and this directing duo has been putting together award-winning One Acts for many years. They are both hopeful for Fire Exit’s success in the 2023 competitive season! The group will compete this October, and are hoping to eventually advance to the State competition at UW-Green Bay. Below, Plamann answered a few questions regarding the show.
How does the one act show correlate with the drama department's friendship theme?
“The retellings of horrific events in this show shed light to the various friendships and the depth of them as they realize it.”
Why did you feel it was important to bring this show to the Hamilton stage?
“I always think there's value in bringing heavy material to students. This allows students to dig deeper into harder topics, more complicated characters, and a more involved process of working collaboratively. One Act almost allows for an ‘AP’ performance experience. Although the exact event might not be something we have experienced, trauma certainly is, as are the types of characters and their own unique way of coping.”
The cast is hoping to have a showcase performance in November for the public to come see, so keep an eye out for the performance’s date!
