Two Sussex Academy seniors have taken leadership roles in the public charter school’s expanded K-12 performing arts program.

Appointed to these new positions are Natalie Howard, who will serve a directing internship, and Marissa Davis, who will be this year’s student producer, both under the tutelage of K-12 Performing Arts Director Christopher Decker.

Students had to apply for the first-time positions, in which they detailed their reasons for pursuing increased responsibilities and their own artistic ideas for future productions.

Marissa has been programming stage lighting since her freshman year, a role she took on because she did not want to act, but did want to contribute.

“I found my passion with the lighting board,” she said. “When I listen to musicals, I think about costumes and what the stage should look like and how the lights should be.”

Since then, she’s also directed the student cabaret and was the assistant director of last year’s production of “Hadestown.”

Now, she’ll oversee the production of all shows as Decker’s primary assistant. She will meet with him weekly to discuss high school shows, help lead production meetings and supervise technical teams including props, costumes, lighting, sound and set design, all valuable experience as she plans to pursue the field in college.

In October, she’ll do lighting for the high school musical of “Six,” a show she saw on Broadway.

“I have my own perspective on how to light it,” she said.

In addition to her production duties, Marissa has also taken on a leadership role in the school Student Government Association and looks forward to offering new perspectives to the group.

Natalie’s acting resume spans a variety of roles, ranging from school to community productions; in fact, her first public performance was with Second Street Players as an eight-year-old. She has also served as an assistant director and co-director for Possum Point Players.

As a directing intern, she will meet weekly with Decker to learn show budgeting, blocking, design and theatrical leadership, and will direct the middle school musical, “The Little Mermaid,” set for this January.

“I was in a Little Mermaid production, so I know the score and the direction I want to take,” she said. “In this show, certain objects can be personified to offer more roles. There’s a lot of room to artistically offer more roles.”

When she isn’t directing, Natalie hopes to act in high school productions this year, and may possibly pursue acting in college.

“I look forward to performing in shows,” she said. “Mr. Decker picked great shows for this year, and I’ll be able to work with great people here.”

📷 : Junior Kaia Medrano