Chesterton Middle School’s English teacher and Drama club stage director, Liz Graupner, starred in the 8th Annual 10 Minute Play Festival in Chesterton’s 4th street theater. The play was performed on the 19th, 20th, 21st, 25th, 26th, and the 27th of August. The annual play festival consists of a series of ten minute plays. 

Graupner, along with the other actors were able to take on more than one role giving them a chance to spread their talents across the stage in different plays. In ‘Science Fiction of The Rapid Deconstruction of a Rational Mind’, Graupner’s character had a mental breakdown due to reading too much science fiction and thus, thought the world was ending like the books she read. The second role Graupner played was a woman who goes to the library to get a book, but due to funding cuts the library has changed. Both roles are in comedies, but the festival was made up of comedies and dramas. 

Graupner founded the drama club at CMS six years ago. Graupner described the reason for taking this risk.  

“I never had the opportunity to be in a play when I was in school,” Groupner explained.

Her main philosophy behind CMS Drama Club has always been: Everyone should get a part. Students can audition without having the fear of being cut because it’s all inclusive. 

Graupner has enjoyed directing the drama club, but she started to feel “out of the loop” since she had never been involved in theater as an actor. She felt it was time to change that.

 “It was about time I got some experience so I could understand how my students feel,” Graupner stated. 

This summer she did a lot of research on local theaters and decided the 10 Minute Play Festival would be a great way to try acting for the first time. She went on to earn two parts in separate 10 minute plays.

“I loved it more than I thought I would. I had fun every night and made some great new friends,” Graupner said, “I was more excited than nervous.”