This semester De Soto High School has received a new addition to the Wildcat staff. Mary Yarnell is the drama department’s long-term substitute, and also a candidate for the permanent drama teacher position.

Because she came into the position at semester, she only had winter break to prepare. Yarnell is still getting into the swing of things but is very excited to be here.

“It was very overwhelming coming into a new situation with only Christmas break to prepare for that, and I’m still as we go preparing lessons that, if I had the summer, I would probably have prepared already,” Yarnell said “It’s also been very exciting. I’m really excited to be here at De Soto. I just love the feel of the school, and I feel like it’s a great school.”

Yarnell has felt very welcome at De Soto so far, which is one of the reasons she has taken the position.

“The moment I walked in the building to interview it really felt like home. I love the feeling of this building. I feel like the administration and staff is all just so wonderful to each other and helpful and happy and joyful and in a lot of schools that is not always the case,” Yarnell said.

One of the responsibilities that came with coming in last minute was taking the DHS Thespians to the State Thespian Conference or “Drama Con.”

This gave some of the students an opportunity to meet Yarnell before the semester started.

“I loved getting thrown in going to Drama Con because I think it developed a good relationship with some of the Thespians we have here at the school.”

Although she has not had much time to prepare, Yarnell has many plans in place for the theater department.

“My plans for the theater program short term right now are to get the thespian group up and running and meeting regularly and doing some activities. It’s important to me that the students who are serious about theater to go and see theater productions and that they get to experience theater workshops, and that is what my plan is for the thespians,” Yarnell said.

Although it is being pushed back, there will also still be a spring play.

“We are also putting on a play in April. I want that play to be a good, enriching experience for the students who participate as well as putting on a good performance.”

One of the things that Yarnell is most excited about is the opportunity to grow and develop the theater department at DHS. She hopes to expand the program and make it as big as possible.

“I’m excited about growing this theater program to be huge,” Yarnell said. “I want to come here where we have so much of the school population involved in different aspects of theater that it just thrives here and that we’re able to maybe take trips to New York City and maybe get special instructors that are honed in acting or stage combat or something and just really give the students a well rounded theater education.”