Marcella Allison did not know what to expect when she first started participating in theater back in middle school.

Her older sister had already gone the theater route at Southwest Middle School in Lawrence, so Allison at least knew that the people involved were nice.

“I auditioned for my first show without much idea of what to expect,” Allison said. “Then I kind of fell in love with it from there.”

Now as a senior at Free State, Allison — this week’s CapFed® TrueBlue ® Student of the Week — has become completely invested in theater and performance during her high school career. She’s currently the Drama Club president, in addition to being involved in debate, speech and drama, LINK Crew, National Honor Society and the Young Democrats Club.

As president of the Drama Club, Allison will participate in many roles across many productions during the Free State Theatre’s 2023-24 season. After completing the group’s Black Box Theatre & Film Festival on Sept. 21, Free State’s theater kids will turn their attention to the musical Bright Star on November 9-11, followed by ensemble comedy skits for Free State Live on Dec. 7-8, and the winter play “The Women of Lockerbie.”

Allison said that the final part of that slate will likely be her favorite part.

“I think the story sounds really interesting and it’s just the style of dramatic acting that really interests me,” Allison said. “I think it’s going to be a bunch of fun.”

Allison also enjoyed stepping into a less familiar role for her work in the group’s first big production of the year. She directed a short film for the Black Box Theatre & Film Festival. It was her second attempt at working behind the camera after also making a film for last year’s event.

“I had a little bit more help last year than I did this year,” she said. “This year it was just me and one other person. We had to film the entire thing on our own, then figure out how to edit it and do all the sound and find places to film.”

Allison said it was an interesting opportunity to have this hands-on experience and see everything that actually goes into process of creating a film. She also got to find out working with some Firebird students who were a little green in their roles as well.

“Most of them were underclassmen, which was really cool because I got to work with a bunch of people I didn’t know as well,” Allison said. “I hope it was a positive experience for them that’ll keep them coming back to the theater.

“They were all awesome to work with. It was such a great experience. I couldn’t have asked for better people.”

Allison hopes those younger students find the same passion for theater and the performative arts as she has. In addition to her school-based extracurricular activities, Allison also works as a theater technician at Lawrence Arts Center. She said the role consists of working with the events team to build sets and stage manager, which is largely focused on controlling lights and other technology equipment during performances.

“We have a show coming up called Elephant Piggy, which is based off the Mo Williams children's books, that I'm gonna stage manage here in the middle of October,” she said. “That’ll be a bunch of fun.”

Allison said she enjoys being able to tell a story through different mediums, which is why she joined speech and drama when her middle school theater friends suggested it to her. At that same time, she also joined debate, although it has taken a backseat to the activity that gives competitors more room for expression.

“You get to portray whatever story you want to, or send whatever message you want to,” she said. “I think it’s really important and it’s a good way for students to express themselves through that.”

But this is still a medium that can leave its performers a little vulnerable at times.

“It feels surreal almost,” she said. “The pieces, at least that I do, are so deeply personal. So getting to tell your story to these judges and then have them feel what you’re feeling and have to be able to form that connection with people is so special.”

Allison finds that necessary vulnerability to be worth it, particularly when it’s rewarded with a trophy. Last year Free State won its fourth straight state title in speech and drama.

“It’s truly an amazing experience and getting to have that with other people on your team is amazing, too,” she said.

Allison said that the team feels the pressure to keep the streak going. But it’s a pressure that she said started when she was just a freshman. At this point, she’s started to enjoy it.

“The pressure is definitely on, but it’s kind of a fun challenge,” she said. “There’s nothing like the adrenaline and the rush that you feel when you go up there and perform, especially at state.”

Allison has found a passion in the theater, even though her college plans might take her on a different path. She said her plan is to start out taking courses at an area college next year, knocking out general credits before ultimately going to her school of choice. She plans to attend the University of Oregon and major in English for her bachelor’s degree, followed by getting a master’s in library sciences.

“I want to be a librarian,” she said.

That doesn’t mean Allison plans to walk away from the theater once her mortarboard flies through the air at her high school graduation. She sees theater and the performance arts maintaining some role in her life.

“You meet so many interesting people and you form such important connections through theater,” she said. “The art form is just really beautiful and there's so much you can do with it.

“In some way, shape or form, I think theater will probably always be a part of my life. Whether it's like community theater or theater in college, or whatever it ends up being.”