The Mason High School (MHS) auditorium doesn’t empty when the final bell rings. Instead, it comes alive with students rehearsing lines, adjusting lights, building sets and solving problems that don’t come with answer keys.
This is Mason High School Theater, where students don’t simply perform. They design, construct, collaborate and learn how a production comes together long before the curtain rises.
Each year, more than 200 students participate in Mason’s extracurricular theater program, with a similar number enrolled in acting, technical theater and filmmaking courses. Together, they produce three major shows annually: a fall and winter play and a spring musical, each shaped largely by student leadership.
“Theater is perhaps the least repetitive job imaginable,” says Allen Young, Mason’s theater teacher, artistic director and drama club advisor. “Every day brings new challenges and opportunities for students to create something meaningful.”
Now in his 24th year at MHS and his 32nd year in education, Allen has directed more than 50 productions at the school. His background spans acting, opera performance, directing and professional lighting design throughout Greater Cincinnati, but he’s quick to shift the spotlight to the students.
“They are smart, hardworking and dedicated,” Allen tells us. “They meet deadlines. They solve problems. They make amazing things with limited resources.”
That trust in students is shared by C.G. Gray, Mason’s winter play director and technical theater director, now in their ninth year.
“Our shows are spectacular because of the thought and effort each student contributes,” C.G. says. “There’s no magic number of actors or crew members that makes a show successful. It’s about mindset - everyone wanting to make it the best it can be.”
That philosophy was on full display in this year’s winter production, Radium Girls, directed by C.G. The play tells the true story of young women who fought for justice after being poisoned by radium paint. It’s an emotionally demanding story with striking modern relevance.
“I love directing challenging and meaningful pieces,” C.G. shares. “The themes like accountability and justice are still incredibly relevant today.”
The responsibility students carry is not symbolic. They build sets from the ground up, assemble props, hang and rig lighting, design costumes and refine stage makeup techniques.
“What we do here is comparable to college-level theater,” C.G. notes. “Students aren’t just learning lines. They’re learning how an entire production functions.”
Senior Isa Spary, who played Grace Fryer in Radium Girls, experienced that depth firsthand. When she learned she had been cast in the lead role, the moment was overwhelming.
“I just stared at my screen,” Isa remarks. “I was totally shocked. I almost started to cry. I’m just very thankful I get to be her. She is an incredible woman.”
Rehearsals filled four to five days of her week, often stretching two hours at a time. The schedule is demanding, but Isa says the growth makes it worthwhile.
“I get to see everybody grow into their characters,” she observes. “I also built a stronger connection with myself and Grace Fryer.”
For C.G., that connection was the heart of the show. “I hope students feel the righteous anger and the drive for change. I want them to understand that injustices shouldn’t be dismissed just because they’re common or historical.”
That sense of purpose is paired with collaboration, which is one of the defining features of Mason’s theater culture.
“There is nothing more satisfying than working hard alongside your peers and celebrating a successful run of a show,” Allen says. “That shared achievement stays with them.”
Students also participate in the Cappies Program of Greater Cincinnati, serving as critics, attending productions across the region and celebrating excellence at a gala at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.
“It’s a grand celebration of high school theater,” Allen comments. “And it pushes students to think critically about performance and craft.”
After Radium Girls, the program is shifting gears for its spring musical, Sister Act, running April 23–26.
“The musical is always our largest production,” Allen explains. “It involves well over a hundred students. It’s a ton of work, but it’s an amazing experience.”
Behind every show are hundreds of unseen hours: late rehearsals, technical runs and problem-solving moments that don’t make the playbill.
“Some students take a curtain call,” Allen says. “Many do it simply for the love of the work.”
As seniors prepare to graduate, Allen writes each one a handwritten letter, delivered on the morning of the final performance.
“I hope Mason Theater experiences are among their favorite high school memories,” he enthuses. “Most of the time, they are.”
Long after the curtain falls, the confidence, teamwork and memories built here continue to take center stage. See it for yourself at Sister Act: The Musical. MasonDrama.com
“There is nothing more satisfying than working hard alongside your peers and celebrating a successful run of a show.” -Allen Young