After a long summer, the MVS Theater Department is excitedly kicking off the 26-27 school year with the Upper School’s Neverland Project and the Middle School’s Finding Nemo Jr. However, this year the department will be going through major renovations that will change the way that MVS students will engage with theater as a whole.
Last year, the Upper School musical director Kat Smith-Grieshop departed after bringing the MVS theater to perform several outstanding performances. Under her direction, the Upper School presented Little Shop of Horrors in 2026, High School Musical in 2025, and many other phenomenal productions. After waving goodbye to Kat however, the theater department awaits a fresh new era of MVS musicals with the arrival of the Upper School’s new musical director: Jackie Randall. Ms. Randall has been active in the local community, both at MVS and beyond. She has directed Middle School musicals in the Rose Theater, such as Shrek Jr. and The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood and has been acting at the Dayton Playhouse for quite some time in productions such as The Unsinkable Molly Brown. When interviewing School Counselor & experienced Production Manager Mr. Lopez about Ms. Randall’s suitability for the role, he stated that she is a “students first” director. He explained that Ms. Randall will prioritize student positions such as student stage managing, choreography, and lighting design. Mr. Lopez continued to state that she will treat directing as a “teaching opportunity” for students, and she will empower students to engage with and love theater.
Beyond simple faculty changes, the MVS theater is donning a new, forward-looking perspective. At its heart, the theater department is seeking to bring our community closer together, and the three separate divisions within MVS (lower, middle, and upper school) are officially merging into a single community. This blend will not just be in namesake, but it will be evident throughout many community-wide events. These include a theater banquet for all grade levels hosted at the end of the year, more prevalent advertising of lower division productions within the Upper School, and groups of Lower School students coming to watch Upper School productions. In addition, students will be rewarded for attending shows, acting achievements, and involvement within the theater department due to MVS’ enrollment in the International Thespian Society starting this year. This Society offers a multitude of awards that will bring our community closer together. These changes to the theater department aim to evolve the experience of theater-loving students at MVS, and in the following year our community will watch the department take its first exciting steps in this new direction.
A new director, new goals, and a new affiliation with the International Thespian Society bring MVS theater to an exciting new era, and this excitement will be displayed in full force on stage. Mark your calendars for November 13th through 15th for The Neverland Project, and on April 22nd through 25th for The SpongeBob Musical. If you are an actor, audition; if you love handling props and building sets, join the crew; and if you love theater, come and watch these shows. As you will soon see, an exhilarating new year of theater awaits MVS, so go out there, make the most of this opportunity, and break a leg.
