The Drama Club members are preparing and rehearsing for their upcoming play, “Making It.” The comedy-drama, written by Hindu Brooks, is a three-act play set in a high school for the performing arts. It focuses on a cast of students aspiring to break into the theater world.
The play presents a convincingly real story filled with frustrations, hope, and conflicts within the world of theater. The play explores the challenges of personal and professional goals, exploring the sacrifices and strength that come with theatre acting to achieve success.
The story follows Alex, a former student who returns to his alma mater for his directing debut. He takes on the well-known play “Romeo and Juliet,” presented as a play within a play at Bucks. According to the synopsis on the Bucks website, “arguments over casting, costumes, and choreography may cause this classic love story [‘Romeo and Juliet’] to turn tragic before the show even hits the stage.” The production of “Making It” is expected to feature a cast of 15 to 17 actors.
The play is scheduled to run at the Zlocks Performance Arts Center at Newtown Bucks from April 30 to May 2, with performances each evening from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The individuals who have taken the responsibility to direct the play are both Ambyr Thomas and Shane Laverty.
Ambyr Thomas and Shane Laverty have previously contributed to productions at Bucks, including “Night of One Acts,” “Centurion Night Live,” and “Monday Always Leads to Murder.” Work on the production of “Making It” began during the Spring 2025 semester.
Ambyr Thomas, a general science major at Bucks and the Drama Club’s president, is directing the upcoming show. A self-proclaimed theater enthusiast since the age of six or seven, she stepped away from acting after graduating high school. Fortunately, she returned to theater when the Drama Club resumed in Spring 2023, after being shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shane Laverty, a theater major at Bucks and the Drama Club’s treasurer, is also directing the upcoming show. He has been acting since fourth grade and has continued for over 10 years. This marks his second time directing.
Last semester, in Fall 2024, he portrayed Harry Monday in “Monday Always Leads to Murder.” Reflecting on the experience, he said, “That has been my biggest role so far, and I am beyond grateful for that experience because it definitely helped me; one: as an actor and two: directing this semester.”
Ambyr Thomas was asked why this play was chosen for adaptation at Bucks. She explained, “It’s not pre-chosen, but you take a look at who you have, how many people you have, your split of genders, your split of age and experience.”
Ambyr elaborated, “You go, ‘What shows could we put on,’ so we looked for something with around this range of [amount of] actors, when he [Shane] and I were looking at plays, I found this one and it immediately caught my eye.” She explains that the reason why it caught her interest, it was a show that gave a relatable and real experience of theatre acting.
Ambyr Thomas was asked whether she preferred acting or directing plays. While she expressed her love for acting, she also detailed the unique satisfaction that directing brings, saying, “You get to see all the pieces come together.” She further shared her fondness for the club and the friendships she has formed within it. Describing her experience directing the play, she called it “crazy”—a challenge, but an enjoyable one.
When asked about the cast’s teamwork, both directors shared similar sentiments, noting that the cast works together well. Shane Laverty highlighted, “They obviously have a very strong bond together. They help each other out no matter what.”
The two directors expressed their excitement about the show. Ambyr Thomas shared, “Oh my gosh, I’m so nervous I could die, but I’m really excited to see it.” Shane also shared that he was quite excited about it, “Oh 100%, yeah, I’m very excited about this.”
Additionally, they shared the most challenging elements of bringing the production to life. Ambyr Thomas noted, “Definitely time. With a lot of other productions, when you are in school, you go to rehearsal for two hours every single day after class because you may not have anything else to do. But now in college, we’re dealing with 15 people’s schedules, I have class time from xyz to xyz time, and I can only be here for two or three days.” She added, “We all have jobs and we all have lives, it’s really hard to get people into the Drama Club because it is a really big commitment but I think it’s very very worth it.”
When asked how they involved the cast and crew in shaping the play’s direction, Shane Laverty explained, “Having a team of management, I guess, is the best way. A team of leaders because it’s not just Ambyr and I, we have a stage manager, an assistant stage manager.”
Ambyr describes that she doesn’t entirely control how the cast and crew work together, but emphasizes that she trusts them to make their character decisions, and they trust her to pull them back if it doesn’t work for the show.
The lead actor, Ben Armagost, plays the character Alex. Ben, a theater major at Bucks, was asked about his feelings regarding the upcoming show. “I am very excited and nervous for the show. This is my first time as a lead in any work I’ve done, so I’m looking forward to opening night!”
When asked how he felt about playing the lead role, Ben Armagost responded honestly, “Interesting to say the least. I feel like it’s almost my job to hype up the show, but I don’t want to come off as full of myself and end up downplaying my role whenever I’m talking about it.”
CJ Sorichillo, a psychology major at Bucks, plays the second lead, Lisa. When asked about their feelings toward the upcoming performance, they shared, “Very excited, I had directed our show last semester so I’m very excited to be back on the stage.”
Including what it’s like playing one of the three main leads, “I am honored to get to work with my other two leads, they are both so talented on stage and wonderful off stage. The cast as a whole are so amazing, with all the support we give each other.”
Zoe Mongiello, a health science major at Bucks, plays the third lead, Cindy. When asked about their feelings about the upcoming play, they shared, “I am pretty excited for the play as it is the second one, I will be performing at Bucks.”
Especially how they felt playing one of the three main leads, “It is an honor to get a lead character but it does add some pressure making sure I really portray my character correctly.”
Tickets for “Making It” are available for purchase online through the Zlock Performing Arts Center section of the Bucks website, at the box office, or at the door. Tickets are priced at $10 each.