Come see Dreams and Decisions December 9th at 7:00 pm

St. Francis de Sales is proud to announce the return of the Drama Club.  Led by student request and a thirty-year veteran high school theatre director, the drama club opened its door to all interested students earlier this year.

Under the leadership of volunteer Richard Pniewski the school production of "Dreams and Decisions" premiers Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the high school.

Ten students have rehearsed since mid-October with Pniewski who says he greatly enjoys observing the students' developing stage talents and enthusiasm. For the past twenty-six years Pniewski taught literature and led theatre at Chicago's Simeon High School. He also taught and coached drama for several years at Chicago area's St. Rita, Marist and Unity parochial high schools and Shepard High School.  

Pniewski and his brother, Glenn, an Evergreen Park community theatre troupe founder, cobbled together "Dreams and Decisions" based on insightful contemporary teen-age monologues discovered over the years from various literary sources. "This production is a mosaic of teen life," reflects Pniewski. "It's about boyfriends, girlfriends and parent relationships....your first date, getting along in school. An example of a story that speaks to teens is the one about the brainy nerd and jock from different peer groups who consider dating with all its social implications. All these monologues are themes that high school students and adults reminiscing about their high school years can reflect upon and understand."

Senior Annette Gonzalez likes performing in this production because, "The script gives me an opportunity to be someone else for a while and understand another person's life story."

Pniewski said the scripts were based on the most meaningful themes he encountered in teaching thousands of teenagers for thirty plus years in suburban and city schools. "It's the type of play where each performer can occasionally modify the script so it's more honest for the individual student performing the role. This helps each student relate better to the character."

Pniewski hopes "Dreams and Decisions" will create a rebirth of the high school's long history of developing student theatrical talent.  After the first rehearsals he believes one or two students have already demonstrated the ability to compete favorably at state competitions. Pniewski plans for a few students to participate in the IHSA drama interpretation regional competition this March. Many of his past students have won state recognition in interpretation performance and he hopes this year to have one or more students quality for Chicago's August Wilson, Shakespeare and Goodman Theatre's adolescent drama contests.

For more information on the play, call St. Francis de Sales 773-731-7272