Whether they are transforming the Jenkins Auditorium into an idyllic Greek villa for Mamma Mia! amid January, writing and performing their original show On Display at the Massachusetts High School Drama Festival, or defeating monsters to figure out the mystery of Sammy Roo and the Haunted Mansion, Play Production (Pro) has proven that their creativity has no bounds.
As the class of 2024 graduates and Ariana Messana concludes her first year teaching Play Pro, the class that quickly became a family has begun reminiscing on the eventful year they have shared. “Play Pro this year was incredibly unexpected. Going into any new job can be daunting and have challenges, but walking into a theater program is like walking into a family. There were some growing pains and difficult times, but I could not be more grateful for the memories I have been able to make this year with my first Play Production class,” Messana reflected.
Despite it being her rookie year, Messana was able to form an unbreakable bond with her class and leave a pivotal impression on the theater program as a whole. “When I first met Ms. Messana I knew that she would be a great fit for our program. I met her before everyone else did and I was really excited to see how she interacted with the class, and she was awesome. I am really glad she joined us as our teacher this year,” senior Emma Spignese-Smolinsky expressed.
“She stepped into some pretty big shoes and I think she did that wonderfully. Honestly, she was able to expand the program even more,” senior Marianne “Mari” Rivadeneria added.
Play Pro fosters a collaborative environment where students are encouraged to display their individual talents while also cultivating knowledge from their peers. This effort can be seen in any production, but it shines through in the original productions Play Pro writes together.
Messana highlighted how the most recent production, Sammy Roo and the Haunted Mansion, stuck out to her because “the jokes and connections that were made throughout the show helped remind me of the magic of theater programs. It was also great to be able to collaborate with my students on an original production.”
For their original Fest show On Display, Rivadeneria explained how “Ms. Messana has helped me expand my writing talents which I have never really had the chance to so I am very grateful. I actually wrote a monologue for our fest show and the whole class liked it. I was able to perform it and I even won a reward for it. Not only was I able to express myself through my monologue which was based [on] my own life, but that was my biggest accomplishment and I am really happy that I was able to show that to people.”
Play Pro students learn various beneficial skills through their productions apart from acting and the different aspects of theater tech: “Honestly, I think the most valuable skills I have learned are teamwork, leadership, and ensemble work. It is such a group and ensemble-based class so it is really important to be able to work with everyone. And as president, I have learned how to be a leader,” Spignese-Smolinsky detailed how the skills she has earned have stemmed greatly from the collaboration focus of Play Pro.
The list of benefits continues as Rivadeneria shared that Play Pro “has helped me with my school work and my memorization; it is a very educational class in more ways than one.”
For those interested in joining Play Pro in the future, “have fun. Enjoy yourself. Take risks. Everyone in that class is your family – take care of each other,” Spignese-Smolinsky advises.
“Put in the effort and you will have a fantastic time,” senior Brian Vences contributed.
With one successful year under her belt, Messana is heading into the next school year with a motivated mindset. “My hope is that next year we continue to grow our program into something we can all be proud of. We started this year off a little late so I am excited that next year we can start by jumping head first into our winter musical! We have a lot of theater magic in store for next year so I hope people come and enjoy the shows,” Messana exclaimed.
Visit Play Pro’s Instagram account @mhsplaypro or their TikTok @mhs.play.pro to keep up with their adventures and for updates on future productions.
