The West Bend Current

The West Bend High Schools drama club proves that you are never too old to perform on stage.

The drama club recently put on the show “Puffs,” which tells the adventurous story of resilient young wizards making their way through seven years of magic school. The production, which ran Nov. 14-16, added a unique twist by asking four teachers (and one superintendent) to join the students on stage, bringing their talents to the enchanting world of “Puffs.”

Before taking to the stage, director Mark Barnard and co-director Mickiah Wolff extended the invitation to their colleagues, who were more than excited to participate.

“She (Wolff) asked if I thought teachers would be interested in participating, and I told her I was definitely on board,” English teacher Michelle Proudfoot said. “I teach theatre appreciation, and I had never been involved in a play. I thought it would be a good idea for me to put myself in that position so students know I’m not asking them to do something I have not done myself.”

In the play, Proudfoot took on the role of Rowena and Wolff, an art teacher, played Professor Sprouty. The production also featured orchestra teacher Mindara Krueger-Olson as Professor Lanny/Runes Teach/Miss Babble, band teacher Corey Murphy as A Very Tall Man and Superintendent Jennifer Wimmer as Professor McG. 

Students and teachers rehearsed for the fall play for more than two months. These rehearsals showed the dedication and effort required to bring a production to life, which encouraged a newfound respect between the student and teachers.

“Anytime staff can show students that they are human too, it gives students that common connection,” Wolff said. “Making mistakes like forgetting your lines shows that being in a play and memorizing just a few lines is hard for everyone, which makes us all human.”

This demonstration of vulnerability and support from the staff evidently had a profound impact on many of the students. At times, while some were performing on stage, others were backstage getting to know their teacher counterparts. Students often look back on the long, engaging conversations when teachers shared stories from their own high school days, and many more cherished the moments of laughter and support that lightened the rehearsals.

“I stood next to Ms. K-O (Krueger-Olson) before every show for mic check,” West senior Lillian Tyvela said. “I remember we would tell jokes to one another and would both just be laughing a lot.”

Similarly, East senior Rose Ziemer fondly recalls her time spent with Proudfoot throughout the entire experience. 

“I remember a couple of times that Mrs. Proudfoot would help me with my big inflatable dragon costume, it’s very hard to get on,” Ziemer said. “She was just very supportive of everything I did, especially with a couple of my performances that I wasn’t happy with. She’d reassure me that I was talented and that she appreciated the creative choices I made. She was just very thoughtful and supportive, and it was nice to have that in the show.”

West sophomore Cailee Amundson believes that having teachers in the play had a significant impact on the students.

“It’s really wonderful to see staff taking time out of their day to help us put on our production,” Amundson said. “It really just made me feel like people actually appreciated the plays our school put on. Every staff member gave it their all to make ‘Puffs’ a great show.”

Closing the curtain may have been the most difficult part of the show for both staff and students. For those graduating, it had almost felt sentimental to leave their final show with those who had taught them in their past years of high school. For others, having the teachers there to support them encouraged them to continue performing in the future.

“It was amazing for me to see so many students doing something they are passionate about,” Proudfoot said. “Sometimes as teachers, we only get to see our students being students. Seeing kids shine as they participated in an activity they love, and have their moment in the spotlight, was the absolute best.”

---

Top image: WBHS teachers Mickiah Wolff, Mindara Krueger-Olson, Michelle Proudfoot and Corey Murphy in costume for “Puffs.“All photos courtesy of Wolff.