Behind the Scenes: Winterfest in the Making

While Lawrentians have recently been trudging through seemingly never-ending snow, anxiously studying for tests and preparing for college, or delving into co-curriculars outside of their regular academic commitments, something is brewing in the Kirby Arts Center. Winterfest directors, actors, and stage crew are working each week, preparing to bring mini-play scripts to life. 

If you have attended Winterfest before, you know the tone of the production is flexible and comedic, distinctly different from any other production on campus. The Lessons and Carols choir performance and the Fall Musical Into the Woods displayed the result of months of practicing with precision and thoughtfulness. However, Winterfest radiates a different kind of joy and humor through its raw creativity and unique license to be tongue-in-cheek. Why? Because Winterfest is acted, directed, and written by students, of course! And who does humor better than teenagers?

Bella Spencer ’26, a Director, is “in charge of organizing and leading rehearsals each week, running lines with actors, setting up what needed props and costumes”— everything that goes into the play. Spencer states that the play she is directing, written by a former Lawrentian , is “very comedic, like most of Winterfest.” While she notes that the plays are still coming together, Winterfest seems to be “running smoothly,” and Lawrentians can expect to see “interesting and funny plays with great acting and cool lighting.”

The lighting crew for Winterfest mainly consists of students taking the Theatrical Design: Lighting Design course in the Performing Arts Department, resulting in a lot of visually interesting and creatively adventurous lighting choices, allowing students to apply what they learn in their art course to real production. As a student-led project, Winterfest allows students with an interest in any aspect of stage production to take an active role in the making of the plays with support from other students, contrasting the usual system of adults taking the lead in creative decision-making.

When describing her role as Assistant Director under Dorothy Lee ’26, Yu remarks that  “talking to Dorothy and going through the script, expressing ideas on what we think lighting or blocking should be, and considering how our choices would be interpreted in the show is a really fun process.” Winterfest encourages problem-solving, a core ingredient of stage production, in a collaborative and fun setting. Supported by their peers and friends, those involved in Winterfest get real experience in building a play from scratch.

With the debut date set for February 8th, the performance is quickly approaching and everyone involved is working hard to prepare. Isaac Moon ’27 says that Winterfest “has taken up time in [his] week” because he needs to “memorize lines and staging” while attending weekly rehearsals, but spoken as a seasoned Periwig veteran, Moon recognizes that it isn’t “too much” work. 

However, Yu admits that despite the work that goes into Winterfest, because of the student-led quality and often small rehearsal groups, an element of laxer organization can sometimes get in the way. Without a faculty member setting largely inflexible rehearsal times, “bailing out,” as Yu jokingly puts it, is common and can prohibit a degree of productivity, but overall she recognizes everyone’s commitment and collaboration. Talking about students leading other student actors rather than a faculty Director, she mentioned “This hasn’t been too much of a problem, but it is interesting to see the effect of direct communication of student-to-student.”

Across all roles and jobs, a resounding message stays consistent: show up! Fellow Lawrentians and friends have been curating an entertaining, funny, and memorable production, so come and check it out!