A play that challenges

LECANTO — Lecanto High School Drama Department Director Mandy Mathieu has a deep, personal connection to the production her students will soon take to the Florida State Thespian Competition in Tampa.
 

Matthew Beck

Lecanto High School senior Crimson Eisenhower, 18, playing the part of Kylie, rehearses the one-act production “If I were a Superhero” Thursday with Tyler Philolius, who plays an adolescent, autistic boy named Guthrie. The Lecanto Drama Department will soon take their one-act production to state competition in Tampa.

Buy this photo

Matthew Beck

Crimson Eisenhower runs through her lines with Kirk Osburn who plays the part of her brother Jed.

Buy this photo

She describes “If I were a Superhero” as a one-act production about the challenges a teenage girl experiences during a summertime babysitting job watching over an autistic boy.
 

“As she spends the summer with the boy she becomes attached to him and learns not only about autism but also about overcoming obstacles,” she said. “It deals with some hard issues, but it’s heartwarming and has a happy ending.”
 

Mathieu’s personal connection to the production is by way of her son, Justice, 13, who is autistic.
 

The drama director said she hopes this production will have a lasting effect on her students long after their high school careers are finished.
 

“The neatest thing that has happened from this for me is that I have this whole cast of students who have now had a chance to not only to raise their awareness and understanding of what Autism Spectrum Disorder is, but also to learn to give back with their art, rather than to just do this for their own glory,” she said. “They can make a difference through art, and when kids get that, it’s powerful.”
 

The Lecanto High School Drama Department, Thespian Troupe 4009, recently performed the one-act production at the district competition in Gainesville.
They now go on and represent District 12 in state competition the third week in March, along with Citrus High School’s drama group, which also finished at the top of the district.
 

Mathieu gave her students, most of whom had no experience with autism, a unique perspective from which to draw on stage.
 

“The cool thing about this whole project is that Justice has spent a lot of time with this cast. I brought him in to school many times,” she said.
 

She did that “so that Tyler, our lead role, could better understand how to get into his character,” she said. “I teach the Stanislavski method of acting, so it is really important to absorb and become that character.”
 

Her son has enjoyed the time with the group, too.
 

“The cute thing is that Justice thinks this play is about him because there are a lot of similarities,” she said. “He loves this play. He thinks it’s awesome.”
 

Tyler Philolius has the distinction of being the teen tapped with the role of Guthrie, a pre-adolescent autistic child, who at times struggles to cope with life.
 

Philolius said at the start of the school year he was a bit skeptical when he heard what the production was about.
 

“At first I was really nervous because I’ve never done anything like this before,” he said. “It’s one of the toughest roles I’ve ever had to tackle. But at the same time it was something new and exciting. It’s been a really great learning experience.”
 

The actor, performing on stage since middle school, said he has his own way of getting into character before he performs.
 

“I go off by myself and take deep breaths and just get into the character,” he said. “It’s hard to explain but it just happens naturally,” he said.
Kylie, the lead-female character, is played by LHS senior Crimson Eisenhower.
 

The 18-year-old said she has mixed emotions about going into next month’s state competition.
 

“Going to the state competition is a really big thing for us because our school has not taken a one-act performance to state in about 11 years. So we’re kind of a record breaker,” she said. “Being that this is my senior year it’s kind of a bitter-sweet feeling because I don’t get to do it again. But, at the same time, the sweetness comes from the fact that the underclassmen I’ve been working with for a long time, they get to experience this and hopefully continue it into next year,” she said. “I would love to see them push through.”
 

Friday night the troupe took their production to the McLaughlin Catholic High School in Pasco County to help raise money for the Hope Youth Ranch Learning Academy in Hudson, where Mathieu’s son is a student.
 

Mathieu said the school is expanding and needs $50,000 for expenses involving the finalization of several modular classrooms.
 

“The school is trying to raise money to get these classrooms up and running,” she said. “And this is a way we can help.”
 

She said the production raised $1,521 for the academy, which caters to children with autism and other learning difficulties.
 

High school junior Jessica Poulin, who plays the alcoholic mother of Kylie, is in her first year in the troupe. She said the production has had a dramatic impact on her life. Like some of her other classmates, she felt some trepidation upon learning the subject matter of the production.
 

“When I thought about it, at first I thought, ‘Wow! This is really, really deep for a high school play.’ But then I thought that maybe this could be something we could do to open up the audience to a whole new perspective on this,” she said.
 

Poulin admits the play has created challenges for her.
 

“For me, this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But this play has changed my life,” she said. “Because of this production I have worked with some of the children with disabilities at CREST. Being with those kids is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had in my entire life. Knowing that they are so happy and joyful every day makes me think, ‘what am I complaining about?’ I have so much in life. I should be thankful for everything I have.”
 

Chronicle staff writer Matthew Beck can be reached at 352-564-2919 or mbeck@chronicleonline.com.

COMING SOON
* WHAT: The Lecanto High School Drama Club Broadway revue and dinner theater.
* WHEN: Feb. 23 to 25.
* WHERE: LHS cafeteria. Doors open at 6 p.m. Performances begin at 7 p.m.
* COST: Dinner and show $20. Show only $10. Show only/students $6.
* TICKETS: http:/lecanto
drama.blogspot.com/
* INFO: 352-746-2334