Fatal Intentions (2023)
Panther Playhouse | Harrison High School
Enrollment at Time of Production: 250 Students
Venue Configuration: 100-seat thrust (curtains closed; blackbox effect)
Audience Set-Up: Thrust (3-sided)
Performances: 5 public performances
Admission: Free (capstone/final exam showcase)
Student Involvement: 285 across multiple classes
Student Directors Trained: Multiple (one per production)
Rehearsal Period: 6–8 weeks (class-based rehearsal model)
Marketing Window: 3 weeks (internal + community outreach)
A curated evening of dark comedy and psychological suspense, this festival production featured student performances of several high-impact one-acts.
Each play explored moral ambiguity, fear, and surreal logic.
Students engaged in thematic discussion and adjusted performance tone across pieces.
Full Production Description & Overview:
This festival functioned as a performance-based final assessment for directing, drama, and advanced theatre courses.
Each class ran a parallel rehearsal during the school day with the other classes, having practices 2-3 times a week. The week before performances included setting up technical design groups and on-stage final dress rehearsals for productions.
All classes consisted of:
Student assistant directors
Student stage manager
Student design teams (advertisement/marketing, costume, hair/makeup/nail design, lighting, sound, properties, and scenic design)
Student actors
Period 1
Dinner Date
The Witch of Coos (adapted)
The Ad (student performance of published work by Rachel Erazo)
Period 3
Trifles
Period 4
The Intruder
Period 5
The Pillowman (Act II, Scene I)
Period 7
No Exit (Students updated the language and context to a modern teen experience.)
Period 8 (Advanced Theatre)
Lockdown
Contemporary social text exploring school violence and social dynamics.
Financial Overview (Documented Figures):
Concessions Revenue Model
Concessions sold at:
$2 per item
~$1 cost per item
Revenue:
240 x $2 = $480
Total Earnings After Cost: $240
Ticket & Sales Summary
Admission Revenue: $0 (Free by design)
Total Sales Collected (including tips): $480
Approximate attendance: 400 audience members across 4 performances (100% occupancy of a 100-seat thrust-blackbox space on the stage).
Actual Cost:
Bluetooth speaker: $30
No scenic cost
No costume build cost
No lighting cost
No royalty cost (public domain/class use)
Total Production Cost: $30
Strategic Goals & Outcomes:
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Train first-time student directors in:
Casting
Table work facilitation
Blocking
Cue management
Conflict resolution
Practice rapid rehearsal cycles
Develop dramaturgical research skills
Stage emotionally complex and socially relevant texts
Conduct peer feedback and reflection cycles
This festival trained future directors and production managers.
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- Genre-switching within a multi-piece event
- Stage management for back-to-back scene changes
- Mood-based lighting design and transitions
- Ensemble movement and shadow work
- Constructive critique across directing teams
- Facilitation of audience debriefing materials
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Create scalable production model independent of budget
Train leadership without financial risk
Increase performance opportunities without royalty burden
Use space creatively to simulate collegiate blackbox theatre environments
The 100-seat thrust model intentionally shifted focus from spectacle to acting rigor.
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Remove ticket price barrier
Increase attendance through accessibility
Invite families who might not attend ticketed shows
Expand performance literacy in the community
Free admission increased foot traffic and still provided generated revenue through concession sales.
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- Oversaw festival curation and cast rotation
- Taught emotional pacing strategies between heavy pieces
- Mentored student directors and stage managers
- Balanced logistics of props and scene changes with minimal crew
Strategic Impact
Fatal Intentions demonstrates:
Financial efficiency and space reconfiguration innovation
Instructional intentionality with a student leadership pipeline
Equity-driven access design to create a community showcase
A leadership incubator, directing practicum, training ground for stage managers, creative acting space for new artists, and a fundamentals course for new theatre designers combined
All for under $30 in production cost.
