For any theater department, staging a hit Broadway musical is a massive undertaking. But when high school senior Mary Wang ’26 decided to bring an abridged version of SIX to the community, she didn’t just audition for a role but took on the entire production herself.

As a student-led initiative, the production pushed its director to step into a demanding multi-hyphenate role: director-choreographer-music director. The result was a creative and powerful multi-grade collaboration that redefined how the student body looks at history and musical theater.

As a self-proclaimed fan of the show, Wang had previously seen SIX on Broadway and at a friend’s school. Captivated by its “beautiful and exciting story of history,” Wang knew she wanted to bring that energy to their own campus community. Taking the helm as a senior meant navigating a big shift in social dynamics.

“I think it definitely meant taking on a bigger role in theater, from just an actress or someone working behind the scenes to someone who’s actively helping others put on a show,” Wang said.

That shift included directing her own peers, a transition that could easily have been rocky and unsure. Instead, the cast met the challenge with mutual respect.

“Usually, we are cast mates instead of a director and actor relationship,” Wang said. “But they gave me a lot of respect… a lot of my cast, even when I’m hesitating sometimes, would kind of step forward and say, ‘We’ll do whatever you want.'”

Wearing multiple creative hats meant facing big learning curves, particularly when it came to dance.

“Choreographing was my main concern because I’m not really a dancer,” Wang said. To bridge the gap, she and her peers turned to the internet.

By studying videos of the Broadway production and analyzing how other school choreographers approached the dance number, they carefully mapped out the show’s movement in their script.

The process required intense physical preparation before rehearsals even began.

“It means a lot of the time wearing and familiarizing myself with moves that would take me a long time before, like, mastering it and then finishing it to my cast,” Wang said.

Music presentation required a similar rigorous step-by-step approach. Aside from a bit of structural help from faculty member Mr. Holman to tap out notes, Wang ran music rehearsals independently, teaching the cast their intricate harmonies section by section before blending them.

While balancing communication and creative vision could be occasionally overwhelming, Wang wasn’t entirely alone in the directing process. She credited a supporting group of peers and faculty for keeping the production smooth-sailing, specifically highlighting the stage manager, Anastasia.

The big undertaking has paved the way for the Wang’s future. Heading to Northwestern for theater, Wang explains that SIX completely expanded her horizons.

“Before that, I limited myself to mostly play directing, and this showed me,” Wang said. “You can still do choreographing and music directing at the same time.”

Beyond personal growth, the production was fueled by a specific vision for the audience. By using the high-energy musical numbers from SIX, like the fun and explanatory opening track “Ex-Wives,” Wang wanted to challenge how conventional topics are viewed.

“I was hoping that this show could show them a different aspect of theater, and a different aspect of history, where theater is not what we conventionally imagine it to be,” Wang said. “We can still look at stories from different angles.”

Reflecting on the rare privilege of student directing, Wang expressed deep gratitude and appreciation for the creative freedom the School offers her.

“I understand that for a lot of schools, it’s rare for students to be able to direct their own show,” she said. “I’m just so incredibly appreciative of all the faculty and all the students and the support during this process.”