by: Kenneyde Mittchell and Aaliyah Mole

SANFORD – Julia Heifert and Trey Edwards are names patrons of the Lee County High School theatre department are used to seeing in programs for their work on stage. When Alice in Wonderland opens Thursday night, their names will be in the program, but not for their work done on stage.

Instead, one word will be beside both of their names: director.

“Directing with Julia is an amazing thing to do,” Edwards said. “I was super excited to direct with her, just because we barely ever worked together outside of it. And now we get to bond over this show, which we both like.”

“Directing with Trey he’s very helpful,” Heifert said. “So I think we work really well together.”

The two seniors have been mainstays in the LCHS theatre department for years now. One of the skills both have learned through their theatre careers is leadership, with that on full display for the run of this show.

“I guess because I was always known as a leader, and so directing wise shows that
you have capabilities of being a leader,” Edwards said, “but just because of leadership doesn’t mean you can just be a director. There’s always something else attached to it. So for being a director, you always have to be hardworking and always maintain on time.

“I’ve wanted to senior direct since my eighth grade year when I did my first show here,” Heifert said. “I can’t remember who was my director at the time, but year, I really wanted to do it.”

LCHS director Ron Coley makes the final decision for senior directors. Seeing Heifert and Edwards ascend to that leadership role was something that was natural, because of their time spent in the program and the natural abilities both have.

“They’re really just active on all parts of it with decision making about sets and costumes, but, you know, working with the kids,” Coley said. “They’ve done their research for, you know, looking up how they wanted things to be and just basically hours and hours of time.”

While neither senior plans to pursue theatre after graduating from LCHS in May, the opportunity to direct a show in their senior year is something both are thankful for.

“This is my last year, its like my last time in theatre,” Heifert said. “It’s bittersweet. I’ve been doing theatre for a long time and it kid of consumes every waking moment that I have.”

Coley echoes the sentiment, saying as he watches students grow in the program, it is hard to see them leave, but he appreciates what students like Heifert and Edwards have done over the years at LCHS.

“It’s always sad when it’s anybody’s, when it’s their last year,” Coley said. ” But the cool thing is that we get to watch kids grown through the years that they’re here. Even though it’s always sad to see them go away, it’s also satisfying to see how much they grow.”

Alice in Wonderland opens Thursday night in the Auditorium and runs through Sunday. Curtains will open at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Show time is 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.