Students Take the Lead in Glendale Prep’s Faculty Play Facebook Twitter Email This Post Glendale Prep October 17, 2025 The drama department at Glendale Prep recently performed a unique production of Arsenic and Old Lace where the faculty and drama students swapped their traditional roles. Teachers and staff stretched their acting chops while the students took over the director’s chair and backstage duties. “Our faculty came out and auditioned with our students, who are running all of the tech for this show,” explained Suzanne McCauley, drama teacher at Glendale Prep. “They’re doing the directing, the lights, the sound, the production assisting. All of it. I’m actually serving as the assistant director for this show. It puts me in a new role.” At the helm of the production is Emelia Snair, a senior and member of Glendale Prep’s inaugural class. Having been part of the school community since kindergarten, Snair has grown up with the academy’s unique traditions, and now she’s helping make new ones. “I am the first student director,” she said proudly. “It’s really exciting because it is such a great show. It’s about these two kind of crazy, kooky old women and all three of their nephews, and they’ll get to go on these murder plots and try and find out kind of ‘whodunnit.’ It’s been amazing.” Arsenic and Old Lace is a farcical black comedy play revolving around the Brewster family, descended from Mayflower settlers but now composed of maniacs, many of them homicidal. It was written by American playwright Joseph Kesselring in 1939 and opened on Broadway in 1941. It has since had several revivals, television adaptations, and a 1944 film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra. Snair’s leadership has impressed both peers and teachers alike. “The senior we chose to direct is phenomenal,” McCauley added. “I have really been able to hand off directing responsibilities to her, which has been so cool to see and just watching her lead people that have been authority figures in her life has been unbelievable.” The cast includes teachers from across departments, some with past theater experience, others stepping into the spotlight for the very first time. “I know we have a couple of faculty members who have done zero theater ever, which is so impressive because they just jumped right in and it was amazing,” shared Snair. “It’s like I’m working with professionals, which I’m really grateful for that. They put a lot of work into it… It’s been such a great opportunity for me to get to know my faculty better and get to know myself better. It’s been really great.” The production proved to be more than a school play, but a reflection of Glendale Prep’s culture of mentorship and mutual respect. “Our faculty is committed to our students. We’re committed to students feeling known and loved and this was no exception,” McCauley emphasized. “They’ve poured so much love into the students who are leading them.” For the teachers, it was a chance to show off the same love of fine arts and performing that their students experience every day. And the students were thrilled to see their teachers and school leaders take the stage. Snair even joked that it felt like “celebrity entrances.” Moments like this really show how much the teachers have poured into their students, and how much appreciation comes right back to them. It was pure fun for everyone involved, the actors, directors, production crew, and the audience alike. Do you have a story or know of one that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts? Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org. Submit a student application to a Great Hearts Academy by visiting: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/enroll/. Great Hearts, Great Stories Monthly Roundup Receive monthly news and updates by subscribing to our newsletter. Name(Required) First Last Email(Required) Enter Email Confirm Email CommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.