Reed Meschefske News

As with virtually all performing arts programs across the nation, Santa Fe High School's theatre department found its programming interrupted by COVID-19. Prior to spring break, rehearsals had just started for the 2020 senior show, a production of These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich, featuring a cast of dedicated Santa Fe High School seniors. The production would have closed a season featuring William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Tina Howe's Museum, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

In a hypothetical eternal court, Hitler is tried for his crimes against humanity. His defense? Martin Luther. The prosecutor? Anne Frank. So begins False Witness: The Trial of Humanity's Conscience by Robert Krakow, currently running at The Swan Theatre.

There is something so incredibly special about watching a group of highly disciplined young people coming together to create something bigger than themselves. The collaborative nature of high school drama is like none other, and particularly in programs with strong, knowledgeable leadership (such as the program at Santa Fe High School, led by director Reed Meschefske), the results speak for themselves.

From August 22 through September 3, 2016, the award-winning Ducdame Ensemble will perform Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice.