Beloved librarian Kate Coreson will be resigning from her place in the stacks this upcoming year, finding herself in a more prominent role. She will be taking over for current drama director, Jason Katz.

Next year, she will be “taking over Katz’s class load and the duties of the artistic director of the theater extracurricular program.”

John Fitzgerald, current co-lead of all things thespians will continue to lead with Coreson, which she finds herself most thankful for.

Nerves have weaved themself through the overall excitement Coreson feels, “I’m super excited and a little freaked out because it’s a big job. It’s a big jump from what I’m doing now.”

Coreson started focusing more on acting, something that was quickly overwritten when she took a directing class in college and fell in love.

After getting her bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Oregon she taught at Rosemont Ridge Middle School, where she would direct two play production classes each year.

Unfortunately, the theater department ended up getting cut, however, “I did something else that I loved, which was hanging out with books.”

Nevertheless, Coreson still “missed the creative part of teaching drama and working in classrooms with kids.”

The 2026-2027 season will be composed of its usual Fall musical, not set to be directed by Coreson but she will be involved artistically, and Winter play fully directed by Coreson, however, the Spring show is going to look a bit different.

“We’re changing things up a little bit.” Coreson says, “We’re not going to do a third show that’s directed by an adult. We’re going to do a third show that’s directed by students.”

Students will be given a chance to direct their own written scripts or choose a pre-existing 10-minute play. Basically being “coached” by Coreson, these students will then cast their fellow pupils and learn to be a director.

Coreson had a chance like this herself in high school, a core memory which also grew to inspire her love for directing, back in the “1900s” as she describes, she was able to write and direct her own 10-minute play.

Enthused by the “opportunity for students to take on different parts of theater that maybe they don’t have as many opportunities to take on.”

Coreson hopes to grow the theater department even larger next year, encouraging people to “come out and audition, come to drama club, and come see the shows.”

Her only ask is that students can “trust me to do a good job.” Something I know I can very easily grant her.