The lights go down in Hoover Hall, the buzz of the audience grows silent as the curtain sweeps away to reveal a setting that will soon be occupied with the busy chatting of characters and deep asides that reveal their true feelings.

Although this scene could be describing any number of the plays the Hoover High School Drama Club has put on over the years, from Nov. 9-11 they presented “Sabrina Fair,” the story of a young woman Sabrina (senior Maggie Morrow), who returns home from Paris to conflicting attraction between the Larabee brothers (junior Stephen Robison and sophomore AJ JaJack). This year’s play was different in many regards from years past, according to Morrow.

Mrs. Carol Eastman, the Drama Club advisor, directed the play by herself this year after co-directing last year’s “Flowers for Algernon.” According to Eastman, who directed five other productions at a different schools, Hoover’s productions add a whole other element to the process.

“At the last school I was at, we didn’t have state-of-the-art equipment and crew,” she said. “Here, it’s like the kids [were] almost teaching me to do it.”

In addition to a new director,

“Sabrina Fair” had two student directors, senior Kylie Cassidy and junior Stephen Boughton. According to Cassidy, she and Boughton “helped to direct the show and correct any errors.”

Cassidy said she was glad student directors were added this year.

“[Eastman] wants us to learn as much as we possibly can,” Cassidy said.

Eastman was also pleased with the cooperation and teamwork the student directors displayed.

“They [were] very good and [knew] their stuff,” Eastman said. “Where one [lacked], the other [made] up for it.”

According to Eastman, another new addition was made: senior Ben Rafferty in his “fantastic” debut role as Linus Larraby, Sr.

According to Rafferty, movies, theater and cinema have always been an interest, and even though he had acting experience as a child, he had not tried out for a role in a school play before this year.

“I decided to try out for the play this year because I’m a senior and figured this was the best year to do it,” Rafferty said.

Rafferty is glad he joined the cast of the play and has learned “many lessons”.

“The process has been a learning and bonding experience [for me].”