Five Burris Laboratory School students performed at this summer’s Virtual International Thespian Festival in a Zoom production of an original play, The Firefly Hour by Taylor Lockhart. Graduating seniors Chloe Price and Kelby Herwehe-Shounce, as well as returning students, Chandler Whitted, Alexis Dotson and Cas Lamb served as the cast for the production, a 2020 Thespian Playworks Competition finalist, which explores how younger high school students cope when their older friends graduate.
The Burris actors had the chance to help shape the final version of the play – the playwright attended rehearsals and revised his work overnight based on what the rehearsal revealed with new pages given to the actors daily. Both playwrights and actors worked with professional dramaturg Stephen Gregg (This is a Test, Crush) and professional director Michael Daehn (also served as a longtime Burris theatre coordinator). The play will be published by Samuel French, Inc. in the Spring with the Burris students’ names listed as the original cast.
