David Benz said he signed up for Poughkeepsie High School’s Drama Club thinking he would be paid as a performer.
Of course, the sophomore learned quickly that wasn’t the case. But by then, “I was too deep in. I already had my roles.”Besides, he said, “it grew on me. It filled the absence of just going home and scrolling on TikTok. I like connecting with people. I love talking to people.”
Benz was one of more than 10 members of the Drama Club, in addition to several staff guest stars, who put on a production of “The Day the Internet Died,” with a pair of performances during the school day June 12.
It marked the second consecutive year the club has had a full production after going an extended period of years without one. It also capped a full year of theater opportunities within the district, which included Krieger’s production of “Willy Wonka Jr.,” the all-district elementary performance of “Moana Jr.,” and “High School Musical Jr.” at Poughkeepsie Middle School, the school’s first production in two decades.
The resurgence in theater involvement comes as the district has invested in performing arts opportunities through launching programs like the Smart Scholars Early College Performing Arts Academy. The auditoriums at the high and middle schools are also poised for full renovations in the next 12 months, which will boost the students’ capability to put on professional-level performances.
After performing “Annie Up!” last year, an original take on the classic “Annie” written by Assistant Principal Cecil Coston, the district acquired the rights to perform “The Day the Internet Died,” a 2017 comedy that, club adviser Nasarima Foster said, was especially relevant to the students given the current reliance on technology. She said the decision was inspired, in part, by the consternation caused by the TikTok app being banned for a short period of time in January.
“The play held relevance and connection to the audience’s habits online such as posting pictures, shopping and interacting with each other through social connections,” she said. “The playwrights, they’re pretty flexible about whoever wants to put on a production. They gave us full editing rights. We had full autonomy. That was pretty cool. We condensed it and added elements.”
Some of those included the old inconsistent screech of dial-up internet connecting to a server, or the busy signal you would get when trying to call someone’s home phone when they were connected. There was even a scene in which a student visits a library and is unable to communicate what they’re looking to find.“Kids really don’t visit libraries anymore,” Foster said. “The audience can feel what it was like, technology-wise, back in those days, they think is ancient. It helps understand the evolution of the internet and how things would be without it.”
Benz said the comedic nature of the play and his role appealed to him.
“Ms. Foster gives us such free will with the play,” he said. “I changed a lot of my lines to fit me and my personality, and make it funnier, as well.”
While the cast for “The Day the Internet Died” was relatively small, dozens of younger students turned out for the productions at the other schools. Soon enough, they’ll be gracing the Poughkeepsie High School stage and Foster is eager to accommodate them.
“I’ve been in contact with the advisers at those levels. I’m excited,” she said. “Hopefully in the years to come, we can do more collaborative events. We can help them organize their space or build props. I want to have that type of connection with the other theater programs in the district. We can keep that connection so when they come here they know who to come to and that Drama Club exists.”
As for Benz, his accidental involvement has sparked an interest in performing and helped him overcome fears.
“I do like seeing myself up on the stage, acting, I think that sort of stuff is kind of cool,” he said. “I’ve been thinking of pursuing it as a career, part-time, full-time, whatever.”