By Gianna Ferace ’25
Mary Bigus has been an important member of Beverly High School for not only her English teaching, but her talented director skills for our plays and musicals. She’s been in charge of numerous performances since 2014, when she helped BHS compete in the High School Drama Festival. Since then, she’s created spectacular showcases with our school’s talented actors. I was lucky enough to be able to interview Mary Bigus and ask her a few questions about how she became involved with theater, seen below.
1) What inspired you to become the director for BHS plays?
In 2014, I gained permission to have BHS compete in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s (METG) High School Drama Festival. We had no crew and a student’s mom helped me recruit enough students to put on a one-act play to complete. This experience showed me the joy and camaraderie students who love theater can have with their peers from other schools. BHS has been competing in METG’s DramaFest ever since. Then, in 2016, Principal Taylor gave me the opportunity to co-direct the fall play, It’s a Wonderful Life, which was the last play she was able to direct after 30 years due to the responsibilities she had to fulfill as the new BHS principal. I found my passion in working with students to transform themselves into characters to tell a story.
2) What was your favorite play you’ve done, and why?
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 2018 was my favorite play I’ve directed because it was a very large cast that included middle school students who had to transform themselves into amazing animals, many of whom were very wicked.
3) Were you a part of any productions at your high school?
Yes, mostly one-act plays. I consistently did community theater to experience full length plays. It was great as a teenager to work with professionals — like the local lawyer, doctor, etc.
4) What is the casting process like?
The casting process is always difficult for me because as a high school director I want to give every student an opportunity.
5) How do you know who is suited for each role best?
I base my decision on who is best suited for roles by students’ voices. Does it change pending the character? Can it project without a microphone? Does the student have energy and enthusiasm? However, the most important thing is to come to all of the rehearsals. Especially for the short timeframe we have for DramaFest.
6) What is your favorite part of directing?
My very favorite part of directing is watching students grow to become more confident in performance and all aspects of stage crew, while making lasting friendships with peers they didn’t know. That just makes everything worth all of the time and energy it requires.
