W-O Drama brings dystopian thriller Awoken: Rise of the Supers to the stage

Students rehearse a scene from Awoken: Rise of the Supers, W-O Secondary School’s spring production, ahead of performances May 8 and 9. Amanda Nelson photo

By Amanda Nelson

Waterloo-Oxford (W-O) District Secondary School’s drama program is set to take audiences into a dystopian world this weekend with its spring production, Awoken: Rise of the Supers.

The student-led production hits the stage Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, May 9 at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available at the door.

The play follows a society where humans with superpowers are feared and controlled. When one superhuman, Sable Blackwood, regains her powers, a rebellion begins against the oppressive Superhuman Prevention Unit.

The production is also headed to Ottawa later this month, where it will be performed at the Starfest Nationals competition.

Students have taken the lead both on stage and behind the scenes, with Grade 12 student Huxley Morton serving as student director.

“It’s been a challenge but also really great to work with everyone this year,” said Morton.

For Grade 12 student Josie Willett, who plays lead character Sable Blackwood, the role has been a refreshing change.

“By far one of the coolest plays I’ve ever been in,” said Willett. “It’s so different from the usual roles I end up getting, and definitely really different from the characters I typically play. I’m usually cast as more of a mother figure or a kind of naïve character, and this one is the complete opposite. It’s such a welcome change — I’m having a blast exploring it in new ways.”

Willett said stepping into a strong leadership role on stage has also been empowering.

“It’s really empowering to see how this play has come together around this character, and how quickly she steps into a leadership role,” she said. “It’s so cool watching her just jump right in and take charge — like, ‘Okay, this is what we’re doing.’ She’s just so strong.”

In addition to the performances, students are using lighting and sound design to heighten the intensity of the production and fully immerse audiences in the story.

Another unique aspect of this year’s spring performance is that the original script was written by a former student, Kyara Schmitz, who initially had to write a short script for class and ended up developing an entire performance.

“We initially had to write a one-act play, but I remember asking my teacher what the maximum is, what’s the most I can do?” said Schmitz. “I already had this idea that I had been working on since 2023, and I decided I wanted to write that into a play, so that’s what I ended up doing.”

She said she’s excited to see this come to life on stage and is looking forward to seeing how the students put their own unique spin on the performance.

“It's incredible. I've been visiting during the practices, and every time I see them practicing my characters and my story, I get so excited,” she said. “I love seeing different interpretations of my work.”

With a mix of action, emotion and student-driven creativity, Awoken: Rise of the Supers promises to be a standout production — both on the W-O stage and beyond.