Jackson High School puts modern spin on Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'

~ Teachers are available to advise and supervise, but decisions are left up to the students.

A play at Jackson High School will set the precedent for future student productions.

On Friday and Saturday, "A Christmas Carol" will become the first student-directed play in recent years, with a cast and crew of nearly 50 students and not one teacher involved.

Audiences can expect a modern spin on a classic tale written in 1843 by Charles Dickens, said senior director Steve Nolkemper, 17, who set the play in 2005.

"I feel that the themes in the play are universal and shouldn't be constricted to a time or place," said Nolkemper.

Laser lights, fog machines, strobe lights and black lights will further empasize the modern edge. Also, the sound track will feature the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Manheim Steamroller.

Most of the 16 cast members have never acted in a play before, said Nolkemper.

Sophmore Bobby King, 16, cast as Cratchett, acted in two previous school plays.

"It's good to see young blood up there because you can see what they can do," King said. "Maybe it will give them more confidence to try out and become more involved in drama."

Aside from a fresh approach, Nolkemper said he hopes to teach students some techniques he learned this summer when he attended the Missouri Academy of Fine Arts in Springfield, Mo. So, he established Proscenium, a new school program through which the student-directed plays operate.

"The whole feel of this program is that it allows one student to make all the decisions," Nolkemper said. No teachers make any decisions; they only supervise and advise.

Sponsor Bob Clubbs, a speech and theater teacher, has enjoyed just watching the rehearsals then going home, he said.

"I don't feel that I'm behind the curtain anymore," Clubbs said. "I feel that I'm part of the audience whose been there for a few practices."

Directing a play each semester, he has sponsored the drama club for the last five years. If Proscenium becomes an annual program, this play will set the precedent for aspiring student directors, Clubbs said, and it will instill in students a deeper appreciation for their efforts.

"I just think they're going to be proud of this on a deeper level, because it is truly theirs," Clubbs said.

jmetelski@semissourian.com