GFESS rising stars stage one-act play ‘High School Is Killing Me’

Costumes assembled from trips to thrift stores and student-built set pieces backed an all-original one-act play at Greater Fort Erie Secondary School (GFESS) on Wednesday, with a second performance on Thursday, February 12.

Grade 12 students Gabrielle Cudmore and Morgan Young wrote and directed ‘High School Is Killing Me,’ which the school plans to enter in the NTS Drama Festival that GFESS will host from February 23 to 26.

The student-run production reflects a push from local teens for more support and visibility for arts programming inside a school culture Cudmore described as more focused on sports and technology.

In a backstage interview, Cudmore told Fort Erie Radio she and Young first talked about creating their own show in Grade 10 after taking part in a school production written by a teacher. She said the idea shifted over time toward a story more people could relate to.

“We are such a sport-focused, tech-focused school that the arts sometimes aren’t highlighted the way they should be, in my opinion,” said Cudmore.

Cudmore has done theatre since age nine and wants to pursue theatre and education after graduation. This one-act play became her biggest project yet.

The play centres on a presumed dead student who feels isolated from peers and narrates the story as a class president race plays out among classmates, featuring an all-star GFESS cast.

Costumes for the play mainly came from Value Village, some set items came from her construction class and other materials came through donations from groups she belongs to.

Samantha Caldwell, the school’s drama teacher, teacher advisor and fine and performing arts program leader, told Fort Erie Radio the students approached her around May while they were still drafting scripts for the final play.

They continued drafting scripts through the summer, then moved into fall auditions, casting and rehearsals.

“You know what, they’re seniors, let’s do this,” said Caldwell.

GFESS alternates between putting on a musical and a one-act play each year, and several of the student cast took part in last year’s production of ‘Legally Blonde.’

Caldwell said the school will host the NTS Drama Festival from February 23 to 26. She said performances are scheduled for 6 p.m. on February 23, 24 and 25, with an awards ceremony at 6 p.m. on February 26.

Caldwell said seven schools are slated to perform, and the top two productions will advance to regionals in Hamilton at the end of April.

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