The audience erupts into cheers, as the actors bow, and the curtains close.
As the actors exit the stage, they high-five the producer and congratulate them for the well-written show.
This playwright, junior Charlie Schaffer, co-wrote “On Top of Spaghetti” with sophomore Ella Miliauskas that was performed by students on Jan. 29, kicking off the beginning of Schaffer’s playwriting career.
Schaffer didn’t realize his passion for playwriting until this moment, making it a turning point for a more serious theatrical writing future and inspiring him to continue to write more plays.
“I had so much fun putting it together, and when I started seeing the show, that’s when I realized I’m kind of good at this,” Schaffer said. “Like, this could be a real thing. That was kind of the point where I realized that’s what I want to do.”
In February, Schaffer also entered into a challenge through the National Alliance for Musical Theater. For this contest, participants submitted two songs that they wrote for a musical, one collaboration and one solo to Broadway professionals who give feedback and send the songs back. After editing the songs again, they are sent back to the professionals, and the winners get to see their song performed by professional Broadway performers.
The plot of the musical he is submitting to the National Alliance for Musical Theater contest uses personification.
“It’s about a talking dictionary in a library and there’s a lot of fun stuff that happens,” Schaffer said. “It entirely takes place in the library, and there’s a ton of betrayal and drama and talking books.”
Band teacher Wesley Harler has seen the highlights of what makes Schaffer’s plays stand out.
“You have to be pretty creative to come up with the stuff that Charlie’s been coming up with,” Harler said. “[Schaffer’s plays are] easy to follow. Like the story line, I always knew what was happening, and I was engaged with what was happening on the stage.”
Sophomore Ella Miliauskas has reflected on how Schaffer has improved by following through and finishing what he starts.
“In the past year, he’s gotten better at keeping a project and finishing it,” Miliauskas said. “I think it’s really great to watch him and also be able to work with him on finishing things.”
Miliauskas describes how it felt watching “On Top of Spaghetti” performed.
“It was, honestly, probably the most surreal moment of my life,” Miliauskas said. “We both went to almost every single practice for the show, we were there. We worked with the directors a lot on the show, and designing it and watching it come together was one thing, but sitting in the audience and watching something that we both spent so long working on was a dream come true.”
Schaffer’s plans for the future involve continuing with theater work to reach his objectives.
“I’m going to keep submitting to festivals and competitions and hopefully get some regional level performances done and then from that point, transfer to professional theater,” Schaffer said. “That’s the goal line.”
