By Olivia Kim, Staff Writer
Students energetically performed, trying to obtain a part in a play that doesn’t yet exist. The director, Jeremy Morton, and a writer, Laura Winters, watched along with a crowd of over 40 students amongst many laughs and much amusement.
Students would be cast as a cast member, not as a character. So a part will be written for those that make it in the play since there is no script yet. The ambitious plan is to have multiple acts that will occur in different locations throughout the school, occurring simultaneously.
Paige Hammersley, a student that both auditioned and will be writing for the play, feels like many others, and doesn’t know what to expect.
“I was a bit nervous because I thought, ‘Oh, I forgot to read to script!’ But then, no one has read the script because there isn’t one,” Hammersley said.
Similar feelings are present throughout the room as Morton and Winters have never done anything like this before.
“It’s exciting, it’s nerve wracking, it’s overwhelming,” Morton said about creating this play. Winters, a Prospect and Northwestern alumni, agrees.
She intends to write a play for Prospect’s fall of 2019 performance. The main focus of the story is to be about challenges in high school, and is to be a more coming of age story following a hobby horse competition.
Winters came across hobby horse when she saw a preview for a documentary on it. The sport originated in Finland, and has athletes jumping and participating in equestrian activities while they ride on a hobby horse in this highly imaginative, competitive sport.
Winters is excited about this opportunity because she feels many plays, like “The Wolves”, try to incorporate sports. However, this is not possible in many cases due to lack of space on stage, and/or the actors may lack familiarity and experience with that sport. Riding a stick with a stuffed horse head seemed to be the answer.
Along with the humorous hobbyhorse competition, another main focus of the play will be the challenges of high school.
Winters recalled being in high school where many plays performed were about adult problems, or took place in a different era. She wished there was a play aimed for the students, too.
“I was just really excited to write something for my people, for my hometown, for right now,” Winters said.  
Winters and Morton both feel the importance of the student perspective in the play, and are looking for student writers to participate. Winters stresses how she wants this show to feel inclusive and relatable for the students.
“I really want everyone that’s in it to feel like this play is for them,” Winters said.
This play will follow the events in a high schooler’s life, and give their voice an audience. It will provide them an opportunity to tell their own stories with ones that they create.
“There’s so many important things to our lives, and it’s important to remember them,” Morton said. “Those real things will inspire us.”
 
 
Example of hobby horse competition, courtesy of AP Archive youtube channel