AHS Drama Club spring show features student-produced plays

Expect an evening of creativity and fun when the Auburn High School Drama Club presents its Spring 2025 show, “Nine Lives: A Night of Tales” at Auburn Public Theater.

There will be three opportunities to see our talented students perform: Thursday, April 24; Friday, April 25; and Saturday, April 26. All shows start at 7 p.m. and admission for the general public is $8; $5 for students and senior citizens. Auburn Public Theater is located at 8 Exchange St. in downtown Auburn.

The format emulates Syracuse Stage, where there are nine short plays. The plays are entirely written, cast, and directed by students with the guidance of Drama Club adviser and AHS English teacher David Fisselbrand.

“We started doing it in 2016; students write the plays, direct the plays, and cast them,” Fisselbrand said. “So I have to kind of let go. There are some plays that don't make it, and we take the best that we can find. It's always an adventure, it's always a lot of fun. There are some really good surprises, and I'm just impressed by the kids and how they rise to the occasion.”

Fisselbrand said this year’s production had to work around students who were involved in the high school’s recent musical “Band Geeks.” But he said everything is coming together nicely, going into the final days of rehearsal and preparation.

As for this year’s production, Fisselbrand is looking forward to seeing his students’ work on the stage. 

“They're pretty funny, the kids just kind of run with it,” he said. “There's usually some joke about me in there, so they have a play that talks about me a little bit. The kids just have a good time and a little tongue-in-cheek.”

Auburn High School students get to perform at the acclaimed Auburn Public Theater, which is a great facility for these types of performances.

“It's incredible, we've been there for a long time,” Fisselbrand said. “(Auburn teacher) Gerry Martin was the first one to get us in there, and he really made it so that we have an open door. We've watched it get better and better, and it's really been nice growing the (Drama) club with the Auburn Public Theater space, which is a lot more conducive for the small theater shows.”

Here’s the schedule of plays for “Nine Lives: A Night of Tales”
Act I
“The Tooth Fairy,” written and directed by Alivia Aubin and Irelynn Volmer
“The Portrait of Carinne Grey,” written by Mitchell Homick and directed by Hailey Hutchinson
“The Unknown Show,” written by Jade Trumbull, Eden Gadsby, and Mariela Hernandez and directed by Gadsby
“Crazy Train,” written by Isabella Costanzo and directed by Justice Loperfido
“The Legend of 11E,” written by Nia Mashut and directed by Mashut and Sierra Ryan
15-minute intermission
Act II
“TV Rewind: The 2020s,” written and directed by Jade Trumbull
“Camp Counselor Massacre,” written and directed by Jeremiah Horn
“Dance Dads,” written and directed by Addison Lange
“Barks from Beyond,” written by Madeline Wolfgang and directed by Mariela Hernandez