The MV Theater Department is putting on their first one-act drama, The Lottery, on December 1 and 2 in the Schweinfurth Theater.

Mrs. Raquel Bliffen, MV Theater Director, is co-directing this drama along with Mr. Ryan Holden, Science.

“I’m just so excited! Our program is so robust and this is a great way for people to expand skills and more opportunities for the department,” said Mrs. Bliffen.

The students in the Drama Club are also very excited for this new opportunity. 

Merus Brown, ‘25, said, “It’s a new opportunity for students to explore the more dramatic parts of their acting.”

With The Lottery being a one act play, and different from previous shows, there are many thrilling aspects of this new opportunity. 

“It’s a black box theater so the audience will be right there. We will be able to see their reactions from up close,” said Brown. 

The Lottery is often read and dissected in English II classes at MV. 

Mrs. Bliffen explained how there will be interesting differences like characters–some added and some taken out, and lots of special effects towards the end of the play to add excitement. 

This play is different from previous shows because it’s more mature than ones put on before. 

Mrs. Bliffen has suggested that the show is “viewer discretion advised.”

Brown said, “It’s a lot more darker and handles more serious issues. Someone is murdered on stage and it is actually watched. 

Since the show is so different from other productions that MV has put on, struggles are suspected to occur. 

“We have to make up our own conversations,” Brown said, “and every single audience member needs to be interacted with. They can all see everything.”

Theater is a very active department at MV and with the addition of new productions, it is possible for it to be hard to find a balance between school and theater. 

Mrs. Bliffen answered, “I don’t think it’s hard to find a balance between that but hard to find a balance between theater and my personal life.” Mrs. Bliffen added that her husband has been good with support and very understanding with her being at the school roughly 80 hours per week. 

Brown mentioned, “It can be difficult–especially when school is missed for theater, but that can be made up.”