Hit the Lights: What is Dramatis Personae?

Getting up on a stage and performing your heart out in front of hundreds of people may be someone’s worst nightmare; but for Patriot High School’s Dramatis Personae students, who are better known as theatre, it’s become second nature. The Dramatis Personae program works tirelessly to put on multiple performances each semester for our school and families to enjoy and escape from reality for just a little bit. 

“To me, Dramatis Personae is about finding a community full of people with a similar passion as you and finding a place to bond with all kinds of people.” - Incoming Vice President Kira Bonsangue (11th)

This school year, they put on productions Alice in Wonderland, Peter and the Star Catcher, The Wizard of Oz, and Frozen, Jr.; Theatre 2 and Playwriting students also performed Never Eat a Talking Lobster and The Brothers Grimm along with student-written plays Single 2 Mingle by Sophia Bedoy (12th), and Nomad by Sebastian Diaz (12th).

The 2024-2025 production of The Wizard of Oz.

The textbook definition of dramatis personae is “the characters of a play, novel, or narrative”, but the term means so much more to these students than just the characters that make up a scene. 

Incoming Treasurer and Head of Lights Madison Theiss (10th) says that to her, Dramatis Personae means that, “I have a place to be myself and have fun with a bunch of people that I really enjoy.”

Incoming Liaison Isabel Keepers (11th) says, “Dramatis Personae means a place I can be myself and share my love for theatre with those who also enjoy it.”

Former Head of Sound Crew Olivia Jeffers (12th) says, “It’s a place where I can express my creative side and have fun with my friends.”

One of the most astonishing achievements of Dramatis Personae this year is their Frozen Jr. musical production, which featured puppets and costumes licensed by the official Disney company. Their level of dedication to making their productions top-notch quality is what sets them apart from other theatre programs, and many people may be unaware as to how many hours these students put into making sure their shows run smoothly. Theatre dedicates their time to taking extra periods of classes and rehearsing until sundown almost every night.

Former Props Master and Stage Manager Alexis Anderson says, “Dramatis Personae means somewhere I have the freedom to be myself and have fun with so many different people.”

So what’s next for Dramatis Personae? Theatre students say they would love to see more people enter the program next year due to their high number of graduating seniors this year. Many current Theatre students said they came into the program expecting to just put on shows and have a “fun art class”, but for them, it turned into an amazing experience where they got to meet new friends and find their passion for performing. They encourage anyone who is thinking about joining Theatre to go for it because there is something in Dramatis Personae for everyone.

Remember, don’t just be a part of the audience, be a part of the show!