In the summer of 2004, Ms. Anne Kolaczkowski-Magee (K-M) and a troupe of alumni and current students set out to produce a summer musical that would be a fundraiser for the performing arts at FGR. Little did they know that they were founding a unique tradition that each summer brings together an incredible FGR alumni cast, spanning decades of graduation years but united by their love of theatre.
With the exception of the summer of 2020, the group, known as the Dramalums, has gathered for five or six weeks of intense preparation each summer with the goal of producing a full-scale musical for audiences to enjoy. That first summer and for the 10th anniversary, they produced Les Misérables. Other memorable shows have included The Sound of Music, Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, Disney’s Newsies, and last year’s Big Fish.
Ms. K-M has since moved on to pursue graduate studies in theater at the University of Illinois, but her successor, Mrs. Elizabeth Champion, has carried the torch since 2022’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Some alumni drop in for a summer, others come back year after year. Sarah Thiefels ’04 has been a mainstay, performing in all but three. She has noted that Dramalums is valuable because it “has provided me with valuable skills and lessons that help me in my personal and professional life.” “It’s like coming home,” she says. “Theater truly is rewarding.”
Sarah joined as a member of the ensemble for this year’s 20th production, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, where she served as a Gargoyle and a Townsperson. She also enjoyed catching up with Ms. K-M and other Dramalums at the 20th Anniversary Gala and Reunion held prior to the Saturday performance on July 27th.
With nearly 400 participants over the years, Dramalums has grown into something unique and worthwhile. It is an opportunity to reconnect with fellow thespians in a deep and meaningful way. Mrs. Champion has embraced the longstanding Drama Club motto “Theater is not fun: it’s rewarding,” and always strives to “Tell the story for His Glory.” To that end, she provides her audiences with thought-provoking Director’s Notes, such as this one which she wrote for The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Are you a past Dramalum? We would love to hear from you. Please reach out to Chris Russ at cruss@fgrhs.org to share your stories.