There has been something missing from the halls of KCHS this winter. The laughter that once echoed from the auditorium after school each day is gone. A glorious stage once filled with animated faces, bright lights, and imaginative scenery – on which another glittering world was brought to life – is now dark and empty. What happened to Kent County High School drama?

In the chaos of this school year, the school administration seemed to have completely forgotten about the leaderless drama department. After the previous drama teacher, Ms. Lucia Foster, left the school, the framework seemed to completely collapse, as general administrative disinterest appeared to push the hiring of her replacement to the bottom of their to-do list. This KCHS tradition was dying, but a group of students stepped up and vowed not to let it go without a fight.

Juniors Kailyn Bryant and Dea Keen led this fight to save drama, with the help of many other supporters including senior Brandon Middleton and junior Nikki Bonilla. You may probably recognize these four names from the numerous flyers they have posted around the school in an attempt to gather an army to defend the drama program. Former KCHS drama director, Ms. Foster, was lending a hand in whatever way she could, even though she was no longer working for the school.

“We’re not letting go. This is probably the best tradition KCHS has given the community for years . . . and we plan to give it again,” says Bryant.

Their quest began in late October when they spoke to assistant principal Mrs. Phyllis Robinson many times to inquire whether the school administration had found a new advisor for the drama program. As the administration kept putting off this request, the KCHS drama supporters decided to take this dilemma into their own hands. After these students created posters and posted them all over school, Ms. Fisher informed them that they had to be taken down because they had no permission to hang them. These students even tried putting this message through to the student body on the morning announcements, but because it was not their responsibility, they were turned down and forced to look outside of the school walls for the support they needed to save the theater.

In approaching the community for help, this group of students resorted to any method necessary to get the support drama desperately needed to survive. Bryant said she even mentioned the problem facing the school’s drama program to her dentist in hopes that his connection with the community theater would inspire a spirit of resistance among the people of Kent County. She wrote formal letters to staff members she knew she could trust to help her spread the word and get help. Ms. Foster, after speaking to these students, began her search for a new advisor for KCHS Drama. A petition was even sent around that Bryant said was supposedly signed by over 400 people.

On Monday, December 1, 2003, this crew decided they could no longer go along with being ignored. On this day, Bryant, Keen, Bonilla, and other drama supporters spoke in front of the Board of Education to protest the unfairness of not having a Drama program, as generation after generation of KCHS students have had up until this year. They didn’t go there just to complain; they attempted to make a powerful enough statement to make a change in this current downfall of the Trojan theater, asking for community support and assistance in the search for an advisor. Trish McGee published their speech in Kent County News on December 4, confirming that arts are just as important to this predominately athletics-friendly environment.

All of this effort has finally led to victory. Mr. Jason Schmit, a student from Washington College who shares these students’ dedication to Drama, has been hired as the new KCHS drama advisor. He says that the only reason he would have had for staying in Kent County would be if he had the opportunity to direct the high school play and Bryant believes that he is well qualified to do so.

“I love teaching kids, I’ve been studying Shakespeare for over seven years, and I’m interested in giving back to a community that was good to me while I lived here,” says Schmit. He already has plans to possibly bring the rhythm and rhyme of Shakespeare to the more than eager theater at KCHS with the play “As You Like It”.

Even the administration now shares the excitement of the continuation of the school’s drama program. “I am enthused, the administration is enthused and we are excited about getting started,” Mrs. Robinson sincerely stated.

Normally, drama production would have already been under way at this time, beginning in November, with the start of winter sports. But despite these setbacks, Bryant and Keen have found a way to bring drama back to KCHS.

“We may not have the finest curtains; we do not have a welcoming budget; but the support and dedication of the students outweighs all of this. It is better to be the best of the best than to have the best of the best,” declares the triumphant Kailyn Bryant. As they say in show business, the show must go on, and because of these students it will.