The Malvern Theatre Society (MTS), previously led for decades by Mr. Rich Roper, Upper School English Teacher and College Counselor, has taken on several evolutions over its history. Mr. Roper took the reins in the mid-1970s. 

“When I arrived, I renamed the ‘Cap & Bonnet’ Players, which was pretty much a defunct organization with an inconsistent schedule, to ‘The Malvern Theatre Society.’ Fall 1976 was the first official production: ‘Mister Roberts.’ My final production was March 2011: ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’,” Roper said.

Over the past twenty years, Dr. James Fry has taken on the leadership role as the Director of the Malvern Theatre Society. Many know him to be a key piece in this successful program. Similarly, Ms. Jackie White has made immeasurable contributions over her tenure as a cornerstone for the MTS. After two decades of involvement, she stepped down from this role to focus directly on her new position as the Arts Department Director of Installations; her talent and dedication will be greatly missed. Both seemingly indispensable pieces to the Malvern Theatre Society have shown their hard work and true passion for theatre and the arts over the years. With changing roles and shifting dynamics, Dr. Fry and Ms. White offer their insight and overall thoughts on the program and its path over the years.

Dr. Fry reflects on his long-standing connection to theatre, shaped by both his personal passion and family history. His involvement with MTS, first as an assistant and then as director, shows his commitment to continuing the program’s success.

“So I started my role as the director of MTS 15 years ago, but I was involved in various ways behind the scenes when Mr. Roper was still directing. I started back in, I believe, 2003 so about 20 years ago, and I was kind of helping out Mr. Roper with a couple of different shows. But then I took over when Mr. Roper stepped down about 15 years ago, and it just kind of sparked my interest. Theatre has always been something that I’ve just had a passion for. I’ve just enjoyed theatre and performing; it’s in my family blood,” Fry said.

Dr. Fry’s role as director involves managing the entire MTS program, from directing the fall musical to supporting the middle school show. His active involvement ensures seamless collaboration with others while maintaining his leadership role.

“I’m the director of the Malvern Theatre Society. So what that means is I kind of oversee just the whole program. So with the fall musical, which I direct, I work with Dr. Sayers on the costume design. [Then,] in January, [there] is the middle school show, which I don’t direct; I just work on costumes. So I’m just there as a resource for the director if she needs any help or questions or anything like that. And then, in the spring, I move back into the director role and costumes for the spring show,” Fry said.

Dr. Fry highlights a key change under his leadership as he notes the creation of a middle school program. By introducing this new addition, he not only increased younger students’ involvement but also altered productions to better complement their age group.

“The biggest evolution has been the addition of a middle school program. Prior to myself, MTS was just a fall show and a spring show. There was no middle school program per se, but the middle school students were allowed to be part of the high school show if they wanted to. And when I took over after Mr. Roper stepped down, it was something that I felt could be perhaps tweaked. And so, we were looking at developing a middle school program that would allow for more involvement with the middle school kids as well as doing some shows that might be a little bit more age-appropriate for them,” Fry said.

Dr. Fry emphasizes his excitement about welcoming new members to the production. He aims to focus on collaboration and creativity while exploring how various elements on stage and behind the scenes can have an innovative impact on the show.

“The biggest aspect I’m looking forward to is the new faces. There are a lot of new faces that are helping out on and off stage. So that is always exciting when there’s somebody new that has maybe never done the show before. It’s also exciting working with the teams, and just the creative process, [which includes] looking at how the lights become part of the show, how the set complements it, and how we tie in aspects of the original movie back from the ’80s. I think also looking to see how we can pay homage to that, but also put our own creative spin on it,” Fry said.

Dr. Fry discusses his goal for Footloose to be a fun, high-energy show while bringing a fresh approach. He plans to update the staging and introduce different ideas with a new group of students for the upcoming show.

“My vision for Footloose is to keep a storyline, where it is really punching up the fun factor. It’s a super fun show. There’s a lot of great music in it, a lot of hits from the 80s. This is actually the first show I’ve ever repeated since I’ve taken over as director. So what I don’t want to do is just repeat what was done 12 or 13 years ago. For me, that’s going to be probably a little bit of a challenge, like finding new ways of staging something. It’s a new group of students. [There are] some new team members. So we’re all going to be looking at it, hopefully, with a fresh set of eyes,” Fry said.

Dr. Fry outlines the rehearsal schedules for students involved in the production, noting the amount of hours and dedication that is required. He also invites others to get involved in any way and would be excited to help students find their specific roles in the MTS.

“So with any students that are involved, it kind of depends on the role. If you are in the show, it’s usually about three days a week, doing singing, choreography, and acting. Each rehearsal is about an hour and a half to two hours,… [totaling up to] six hours a week unless [there is] a Saturday rehearsal… Most crew teams work one or two days a week, … [about] two to four hours a week … [leading up to Tech Week], where the whole company comes in [daily] … [for the] last big push before dress rehearsal starts. So it’s the last big rehearsal … [to make sure] that the set is done, … the lights are taken care of, [and] all of the props are in place… So we’ll kind of bump up [the intensity] that week before Tech Week where it’s usually everyone every day. If there is anyone who’s still interested in being involved in some way, they can always reach out to me. I would love to sit down and try to figure out the best place for people to go,” Fry said.

Dr. Fry highlights the importance of maintaining a youthful spirit in the midst of life’s chaos. He hopes the production encourages both adults and teens to stay true to themselves and embrace positivity.

“I think we feel like this world that we’re living in right now is just a little bit crazy and chaotic. And for me, an adult, it’s about not losing touch with the child inside of you. It’s about not being afraid to just get up and dance and create positive memories that are going to make a positive impact on the community. I feel it’s important not to lose that childlike spirit that you have within you, and push for what it is that you want and stand up and believe in it. I think that sometimes we forget about that as adults. So I would hope that that might be something that adults in the audience might take away. And likewise, even some teens, [I urge] not to forget about your childhood and not being afraid to be who you are,” Fry said.

Dr. Fry praises Ms. White’s talent and unwavering dedication to MTS, pointing out her consistent commitment even before he took over. He acknowledges the void left by her departure while expressing confidence in the future of the program.

“I can’t say enough amazing things about Ms. White. She is so talented and so dedicated to Malvern. She’s been so dedicated to the Malvern Theatre Society for so many years, even prior to me taking the reins 15 years ago. Anytime a staff member steps away for one reason or another, there’s always that sense of loss. And with Ms. White, it was no different; we definitely felt her presence. Me personally, I missed her presence, but she left the program in good hands,” Fry said.

While Dr. Fry’s vision and leadership continue to shape the Malvern Theatre Society, it is evident that Ms. White’s invaluable contributions have left a lasting impression on the MTS and individuals in the program. 

Ms. White recalls her early contributions to the theatre program when she first joined Malvern. She also shares how the expansion of the Arts Department marked a pivotal point in her involvement.

“When I first came to Malvern in 1995, I was asked by Rich Roper, who was the director at that time, to help with some sets and things like that. And then, when we became a full arts department, we moved into this building [Duffy Theater] in 2008. Mr. Muntz and I always helped with set props and things like that. So when we moved in, we all became part of the whole program,” White said.

Ms. White reflects on how her contributions to the program gradually expanded over the years. She describes how this process progressed and transitioned smoothly.

“It just developed from working on sets and doing props. Then, it moved into helping produce and organize and working with the director now, Jim Fry. It just evolved naturally, which was nice,” White said.

Ms. White discusses her transition to the new role of Director of Installations and how it led to her stepping back from her previous theatre duties. She notes that this change felt natural after so many years of involvement.

“That all happened due to hitting the new position, a new role here at the arts: Director of Installations. The time also conflicted a little bit, and it was just a lot going on. I’ve been doing it for over 20 years, so it was a good transition. It’s worked well with the new hands taking over,” White said.

Ms. White explains that she’ll still lend a helping hand whenever needed, even though she doesn’t plan to return to working on props. Her ongoing commitment to the MTS displays her passion for the program’s success.

“I won’t be returning to props, but I will still help out when there’s need. I’ll step in and help make things or help paint, whatever is needed. That’s just part of who I am, and I just like to see the Malvern Theatre Society succeed,” White said.

Ms. White appreciates the strong sense of teamwork and unity within the MTS, pointing out how it has impacted the program. She also acknowledges Dr. Fry’s leadership as well as the overall spirit of community.

“Just the sense of camaraderie and working together to make a great product, and, you know, having fun, but really being serious about doing good work. It’s just always been great working with the whole team; we have a great group of people. And Dr. Fry has done a great job with working with the students and all of us,” White said.

As the MTS looks toward the future, Dr. Fry’s vision for innovation and community will continue to guide the program. Similarly, Ms. White’s legacy of dedication and creativity will remain a key part of its success. While both certainly left a positive impact on the Malvern Theatre Society, the ingenuity and dedication of Mr. Rich Roper must not be overlooked. He completely revolutionized the MTS and altered the course of the program for years to come. With his early help, it went through vast changes and became the successful program we all know today. The next chapter of the Malvern Theatre Society guarantees new challenges but also many opportunities. With the support of leaders like Mr. Roper, Dr. Fry, and Ms. White, values of community, dedication, and artistic expression will undoubtedly persist to thrive.