After over two decades of directing students, Theater and English teacher Sheryl Gibson is taking her final bow with William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” as this year’s spring play. This production will close the curtain on Gibson’s time at Deep Run, which began when the school opened in 2002.

   Gibson didn’t originally plan on becoming a theater teacher. She had always enjoyed theater as an audience member and reading plays as an English teacher; it wasn’t until later in Gibson’s career that she stepped into directing. 

   Gibson first started the Out of the Woods Theatre Company with the graduating class of 2005. That year, they performed the musical “Into the Woods,” and used the title of the show and the work they had put into their production as inspiration for their own name. Gibson has produced over 40 performances with the Out of the Woods Theatre Company since then. Throughout this time, she has worked to develop a program that teaches students life skills that are applicable to careers in any field such as time management, teamwork, and problem solving. 

   “Theater as a discipline is very underrated as far as how it helps students because students involved in theater are some of the most employable people out there when they leave school. They have cooperative learning. They have confidence from being on stage. They have problem solving in a moment from having to improv or do something when things go wrong. They have organizational skills for being able to balance their schoolwork and rehearsals and memorizing lines and working on sets,” Gibson said. “They’re extremely resourceful. I think every student that’s gone through a theater program […] always says that theater shaped them as a person.” 

   The theater program has additionally become a space where students feel welcome to express themselves. It provides opportunities for students to meet new people and push themselves outside of their comfort zone, without the fear of being judged by others. 

   “The community of the theater department is by far my favorite part of theater. Everyone is willing to put in the effort, so there is no fear of doing too much and no incentive to act nonchalant. In theater, you meet so many different kinds of people, and they are almost always super welcoming and kind,” said junior Isabel Kepler, the lighting manager for “Twelfth Night.”

   As the end of the year approaches, the cast and crew of “Twelfth Night” have been working in rehearsals to build sets, design costumes, and block scenes in order to move forward with their performance. 

   On their opening night, April 23, the cast and crew held a birthday party for Shakespeare, marking what would be his 462nd birthday. 

   Celebrate Shakespeare and Gibson’s final bow with the Out of the Woods Theatre Company on April 23-25 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Tickets can be purchased for $10 online.