This year’s play at De Soto High School is The Night of January 16th. Many students are involved in the production, playing lawyers, courtroom employees and witnesses, but other students are working behind the scenes to make sure the show runs smoothly.

Sophomore Bram Heath is one of the students stage managing the play. Heath is responsible for various aspects of running the show.

“Normally I make sure props are in the right place during the show, make sure everyone knows their lines during rehearsals, [knows] where they’re supposed to be and keep everyone in line,” Heath said.

However, since rehearsal for the show has just started, Heath’s duties are less intense.

“Right now, in The Night of January 16th, there aren’t any props at all, so I just say lines in the worst accents,” Heath said.

Heath was involved in last year’s play as well, but as an actor.

“The only similarity between acting and stage managing is being a part of the stage program, they’re both really different. There’s different responsibilities that come with each,”Heath said. “I didn’t have to memorize a single line, but I have to make sure everyone else knows their lines.”

Not dealing with memorization has been a positive part of the job for Heath.

“The best part [of stage managing] is not memorizing lines and still being a part of the show, I love theater but memorization is not my thing,” Heath said.

Stage managing is also a huge time commitment.

“The worst part is having to be at rehearsal the entire time,”Heath said.

The actors in the show also appreciate the work Heath and other members of the stage crew put into the production.

“The stage manager is almost like an assistant director. [Heath] is basically second in charge in making sure everything happens,” sophmore and actor Ben Pickert said.