Rutland, Massachusetts high school students save middle school theater program

At what was, arguably, the busiest time in their lives to date, Brenna Hansen and Eve Letendre took on an unprecedented responsibility.  Just 16 years old, going into their junior year at Wachusett Regional High School, they took over the middle school theater program. It wasn't a dream of theirs, but a necessity, when the director retired and no adult volunteered to run the program.  

People who had long loved and supported the theater program at Central Tree Middle School had resigned themselves to the sad reality that, come the 2025-26 school year, it would cease to exist. Brenna and Eve couldn't believe it. After all, this was the program that, as middle school students themselves, had cemented their friendship. It gave them a love of the arts and built their confidence, social skills, and creativity. They could not let it die.

In May 2025, they asked CTMS Principal David Cornacchioli if he would allow them to assume the director's role. "Mr. C," as he's known to students, explained that he had to give the search more time to see if an adult might step up.  The girls waited. Two months later, they approached him again. "They had a scripted pitch," he recalls. "It blew me away. And what really blew me away was their passion and their commitment to wanting to keep our theater program going."

By the time the school year started, they had his blessing with the understanding they would also have a faculty adviser at the middle school.  "I was called down to the office," David Bronson explains. "Brenna and Eve were there, and they were asking to take on the program."  

His first thought was that it was too much to put on two juniors. That was quickly dispelled. "They convinced me that they were going to be able to do it, and in fact, they did. It was a huge success."

More than a year later, he describes their commitment and leadership as remarkable. "It would be like a baseball team closing because they couldn't find a coach and a player stepping up and saving the whole thing," he said.

Their first play was "Newsies, Jr." Brenna and Eve directed 30 cast members with five students in the technical crew. They recruited friends (including co-lead director Wyatt Muice), borrowed costumes from surrounding schools and programs, and enlisted family members to build the sets.

Brenna remembers the feeling of gratitude looking into the audience. Gratitude and joy. "That you, as a person, was able to make this type of an impact and pull all these people together," she said.

"You shouldn't care about people's opinions," Eve says, "and you want to know it was OK to trust us and the good that came out of it."

That "good" touches middle school students at a time that can be fraught with challenges, not the least of which is fitting in. The theater program, with its after-school rehearsals, is a safe, supportive space. Brenna and Eve remember the difference it made in their lives. "I became who I wanted to be in that CTMS theater program. And I think we both have always wanted to be that kind of advocate," Brenna explains.

Continuing the theater program " … is giving people who maybe aren't athletic or aren't as vocal in student council a place where, even if they're not sure about it, [they have] a place to prosper and be themselves." Nodding, Eve adds, "I think it's really helpful for kids to have that community."

Their second and final play as directors is "Matilda, Jr." Brenna and Eve are now seniors. The musical's cast is a big one with 50 students. There are 15 kids on the technical crew. No question, it's a lot. The experience affirms Brenna's decision to pursue a teaching career.

Eve, who wants to pursue acting, says it's teaching her patience. "Also just learning all the bits and pieces of the show," she said. Lighting, sound, stage crew responsibilities, and props have all provided new learning opportunities.  

Brenna wrote her college essay about what she has learned. Taking on the theater program has helped her become a leader. "You are this person. This is your thing. You are in control of this. And through that, I learned that I can accomplish things," she said.  

They acknowledge the end of this experience will be bittersweet. Eve says, through tears, "It's crazy to know that we've grown so much. It's kind of our last goodbye. And we made an impact."  

They leave the program in good hands. Wyatt, who is a junior, will take over as director during his senior year.