As the PHS Drama Department plans its fall show, one junior is preparing to achieve a milestone.
Piper Frank’s participation in the fall show will mark her 50th show at Paoli.
Frank started performing in drama productions in the second grade, playing a mouse in The Lion King the Musical. She developed a love for theatre and acting, and continued with OCP (Orange County Players), a community group that creates theatrical shows with people of all ages. Over the years, she has performed in shows like How to Eat Like A Child, School House Rock the Musical, Mother Goose, Dog Breath (Halley Tosis), Rumplestilskin, A Christmas Carol, Princess and the Pea, Enchanted Bookshop, and Channeling Grimm for the group OCP. She also performed in shows like The Lion King, Alibi’s, Descendants, Law and Order: Fairytale Unit, Murder In The Air, Fiddler On the Roof, Life is Like A Double Cheeseburger, Newsies, The Little Mermaid, and Will You Be My Nemesis? with PHS Drama.
With each show having multiple performances, Frank has actually taken the stage over a hundred times.
“My favorite performance of all time with PHS Drama was Newsies. The dances were fun, the songs were fun, and the show brought a powerful message. I got to work with a really fun cast,” said Frank.
Frank says her biggest challenge has been being typecast as a side character.
“I always get typecast as, you know, the side character who’s funny or, like, the little kid, but I’m ready to take on some bigger challenges and some big roles,” said Frank.
This accomplishment means so much to Frank.
“As a theater kid, you’re seen as someone who is kind of a loser, and I feel like we shouldn’t be seen as losers. We’re definitely more than that. It takes a lot of work to get to where we are. We have to memorize and perform and get those stage jitters out. It takes a lot more than people think. It’s been a dream to be an actor, appear on the big screen, and become a movie star. And I have loved acting ever since I was so little, since seeing my brother doing it. It feels like getting to read a story and showing your interpretation of it, and how you think this character acts when she’s not speaking, or how this person may dance because they’re funnier. It’s nice to interpret things out of a story that some people just can’t see,” said Frank.
Maria Wishart sees Frank as a very encouraging and reliable member of our drama department.
“Piper brings the experience, entertainment, and knowledge to the PHS Drama Club,” said Wishart.
After high school, Frank plans to attend IU Bloomington to pursue a degree in theatre education, as well as English Communications at a middle to high school level. She hopes to become a drama director at a school someday.
“I really want to be here. I love Paoli, and that is where I started and that is where I finished. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears have been poured onto that stage, and I would love to take over someday for Mrs. Wishart,” said Frank.
