The annual Freshman Sophomore Shows (FSS) at Groves are an interactive way for those in their freshman and sophomore years to be on the cast of the shows, and seniors have a chance to act as the directors. While Groves Performing Arts Company has large scale productions—a musical in the fall and a play in the spring—these underclassmen shows are a way for students who haven’t had a chance to participate in a role in a school production. These students are not only hard working, strong willed and hilarious to watch, but the cast and crew spend weeks preparing for a show that they can be proud of. The show will consist of four separate shows, including Gee, Horror Town, Will You Be My Nemesis and Knock Knock. From the directors to the cast, these are some of the many things that you should know before going to the show.
Cate Meyers – 10th grade; Horror town, Laurie and Norman/Old lady
“The shows last year compared to this year, I would say, were straight. A lot of it was slapstick comedy, and there were only two of the shows, whereas this year, there are four, and some of them have a little more drama or serious topics. Our show is a horror movie, and there’s a superhero show, there’s a Glee show, Gee, and I’m excited for that too.”
Alen Ter-Azaryan – 10th grade; Horror Town, Michael, Shark, Jack
“I wanted to do something like this for a while. I did FSS and the audition process, and for those, we had to memorize a monologue. Then, we had a call back on the second day where we read for some parts. Compared to Sister Act, it was a lot more chill because Rutherford wasn’t there, though we all love Rutherford for his competitive side.”
Alexis Pintar and Zoe Burrell Faulk – 12th grade, Directors of Gee
“I love being a director. I’d say all of our cast’s friendships have definitely grown, especially with us as directors. I think I’d say that they (the cast) like us. They enjoy working with us, and they’re wonderful people to work with. And the relationships between all of them, you can definitely see it in their acting as well.”
Zoe Laker – 10th grade; Gee, Fran
“This show has definitely pushed me to be more outgoing ,loud and intense. I’m not typically very loud, putting myself out there, but this show is definitely making me do that.”
Madeline Zdrojewski and Isabela Vasquez – 12th grade, Directors of Will You Be My Nemesis
“Both of us have been in FSS both our freshman and sophomore years, and we had a really fun time. This year, Mr.Rutherford, our theater teacher, picked eight directors for four different shows. I love how he expanded it this year.”
Mia Rose Coxx – 9th grade; Knock Knock, Adrien
“Working with other grades and ages of people is like having an older sister or older brother. Being a freshman is like being the youngest child. Even though there aren’t many grades, having the senior directors there is so helpful.”
Watching this show is like watching your comfort movie. One where you can laugh and maybe shed a tear. Watching these young, talented performers is doing more than just giving your time to the community or these kids. You would be actively showing them the power of an audience and giving them the power of using their voice that they have spent so much time preparing for their performance. Come see the Freshman Sophomore Shows on Jan. 8 and 9, 2026 in the Little Theater at Groves Highschool. From all of the FSS crew, “We hope you love it!”
