The annual Donna Mavros Festival took place on March 18-19 in the SC Performing Arts Center (PAC), starting at 7 p.m. on both nights. Among the three performances were “The Patient” directed by Ann Tracy ‘22, “No Years Eve” directed by Sarah O’Riley ‘22, and “Trifles” directed by Hannah Race ‘22.

“Being in a position where I can direct is really interesting,” Tracy said. “I can work with my close friends, and while we have fun, we can still get things done.”

Mavros Festival is unique in the sense that all three plays are one-act long and are entirely student-directed. This is the first time during the 2021-2022 school year that students had the opportunity to direct a play to be performed in front of a large audience.

“Student directors are much more easy to work with and a lot less stressful,” actress Sabrina Nelson ‘24 said. “I love that LT gives the opportunity for this.”

While there was still adult supervision, the student directors had more control than they have experienced before, Tracy said. They were responsible for much more than directing, including coordinating with the other directors and crew, blocking, and giving actors notes.

“We have a bit more creative control with the characters,” actor Abdiel Gallardo ‘23 said. “[Tracy] says, ‘Do whatever you want, and I’ll tell you if I don’t like it.’”

The student directors chose the plays they directed and who was cast in their shows. “The Patient” follows a woman who is paralyzed in a hospital after falling off of a balcony. This raises questions on how it happened and perhaps if someone pushed her or it was a suicide, Tracy said. “No Years Eve” is a comedy following British people poking fun at each other, Nelson said. “Trifles” is a play based around the murder of a man and the suspicions of his wife being the murderer, actor Djordje Negovanovic ‘23 said. 

The three separate groups had different rehearsal schedules, which worked for the students included, Tracy said. They typically practiced two hours, once a week.

“Being cognisant of our other commitments, our director makes it clear that rehearsal times are negotiable so that we can fit more purposeful rehearsals into our ever-growing schedules,” Negovanovic said.