This year, the Lancer Drama Club will bring the show Footloose to the stage. Taking on the challenge are directors Noah Payeur and Ian O’Connor, music director Danielle Loschiavo, and administrative director Ryan Barrett.

Get to know the production team:

Mr. Payeur, director
This is Payeur’s second year being a co-director of the drama club. Payeur said Mamma Mia was his “favorite show” that he worked on. His favorite memory from Mamma Mia was when the cast performed “Super Trouper.”

“When they did Super Trouper for the first time on the stage with all the lights, costumes, and music, I started to cry,” Payeur said. “I started to cry because for the first time I said ‘Wow, I was a part of putting this together’ and it was very emotional for me.”

Payeur has wanted to become a director because he did the drama club when he was a student at LHS.
“It brought me so much joy,” Payeur said. “It was a great outlet for me to express myself. So coming back here to direct seemed like the right fit.”

Mr. O’Connor, director
O’Connor has co-directed two shows at LHS. My Fair Lady and Mamma Mia.

“When I came in two years ago, the school said that we are doing My Fair Lady,” O’Connor said. “I already knew My Fair Lady since I did it years and years ago so I decided to help out with it.”

O’Connor said he has wanted to become a director ever since he was in high school and “tried to do stuff locally on and off stage.”

“I really like creating shows,” O’Connor said. “I’ve had other experiences working with high schoolers too since I stage managed for shows in Massachusetts as well.”

O’Connor is ready to direct Footloose, which will be his third show with the Lancer Drama Club.
“I am so excited to do Footloose this year,” O’Connor said. “It’s ‘poppy,’ recognizable music that a lot of people enjoy.”

Mrs. Loschiavo, music director
Since 2004, Loschiavo has been the music director of the drama club. Out of 20 years in this role, her favorite show was last year’s production of Mamma Mia.

“The kids really wanted to do that, so they took ownership of it,” Loschiavo said. “That was really exciting.”

Loschiavo said the most challenging shows she has done with the drama club were Bye Bye Birdie and West Side Story.

“Bye Bye Birdie was overwhelming to get all of the moving pieces, the set, the dances, and the singing,” Loschiavo said. “And West Side Story was one of those complex story shows that we have done, and the music was very hard. So, I felt proud of that work after we did it.”

She has seen various changes during her time as music director.

“I enjoyed becoming a part of the drama club when one of my past colleagues had started here,” Loschiavo said. “Before I became a music director, the shows were more straight plays.”

When they changed to producing musicals, the Director of the Music Department Mr. Beaulieu also helped her.

“And it was a lot of fun,” Loschiavo said.

Mr. Barrett, administrative director
Barrett has been involved with the drama club since 2014, but came back as a full-time faculty member in 2022. He is responsible for all the administrative things for the back end of the show.

“I schedule professional staff, rehearsal spaces, purchasing rights for the school shows, reserving the theater to have shows in, having parents volunteers, and permission slips,” Barrett said. “It takes a lot of time and effort.”

His favorite show to do was Legally Blonde in 2015.

“The show was a larger show, and had a lot of moving pieces,” Barrett said. “It was really exciting to see it all come together.”