GREENFIELD – Jeffrey Dalstrom is a busy guy.
Since starting work June 1 at Greenfield-Central High School, he’s been wearing a number of hats: teacher, auditorium director and theater director.
While much of his work has been behind the scenes so far, the public can soon enjoy the fruits of his labors when his first production at the high school takes the stage Nov. 1-3.
Dalstrom selected “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare as his local directorial debut.
The classic Shakespearean play is a comedy about love and magic, focused on four young Athenians who run away into the forest to avoid their arranged marriages.
Dalstrom said he chose the Greek-inspired tale based on feedback he got from his drama club officers near the start of the school year.
“When I first started … I asked them what productions they had been doing the last few years and how they felt about them. They expressed that they wanted to do more challenging work,” he said.
Dalstrom suggested they tackle ‘Midsummer,’ which he said has always been one of his favorite plays.
He said audiences will no doubt be impressed by the actors and technicians who bring the play to life.
The lead cast members include Alayna Gustin as Hermia, Cailey Michalisko as Helena, Orion Kortz as Lysander, Carter Wilson as Demetrius, Jamie Steele as Puck, and Zach Owen as Bottom.
“The actors are doing an excellent job tackling Shakespearean material,” said Dalstrom, adding that the technicians have done an excellent job of tapping into some significant technical elements with light and music that pull the audience into the world of the play.
“Since this will likely be the last hurrah for the old auditorium, I also wanted to make the old auditorium shine like it never has before. We have had some students and staff say, ‘I didn’t know this auditorium could do that,’ and that’s a great feeling,” he said.
Finishing touches are being put on the school’s new auditorium, which Dalstrom looks forward to embracing for future productions.
“We expect most of the construction to be complete by the beginning of November, and then we will move on to our punch list. We anticipate moving in for Christmas,” said Dalstrom, who plans to debut the auditorium with a department-wide performance of “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on Dec. 7.
“That production will involve the entire (performing arts) department, including the band, choir, theater and orchestra students,” said the director, who also plans to produce the Broadway musical “Little Women” in May.
Dalstrom was hired by the Greenfield-Central School Board in May, based on his wealth of theatrical experience.
He previously served over six years as Auditorium Director & Technical Director at the Warren Performing Arts Center, followed by six years as Director of Theatre & Drama at Warren Central High School.
He then spent three years working for IndyFringe, a downtown Indianapolis performing arts venue which also hosts the IndyFringe Festival each year.
Supt. Harold Olin said Dalstrom’s skillset and experience are exactly what school officials were looking for when it came to replacing the high school’s outgoing drama teacher with someone who could not only teach theater and direct plays, but run the new auditorium as a community-wide public arts venue.
“We think he is the full package. We’re pretty excited to have him,” Olin said in May.
Dalstrom said he’s been enjoying his multifaceted role, which includes teaching English and theater.
Outside of class he oversees the drama club, coaches the ComedySportz Improv Team and plans to put on three productions each year.
A big part of his job is serving as the auditorium director, overseeing every production and event in the new space, which Olin anticipates will be used by a number of outside organizations as well as the high school.
“The students and staff have been incredibly welcoming,” said Dalstrom. “Working here in Greenfield is exciting as the city continues to grow. It is a beautiful place.”
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” takes the stage at Greenfield-Central High School this weekend, with performances at 7 p.m. Nov. 1-2 and 2 p.m. Nov. 3. Tickets are $8, or $6 for students. To purchase online, visit gcmusic.ludus.com.