When the curtain rises for the Unity Point School musical this spring, the audience will see knights, music, comedy, and plenty of energy on stage. What they may not see is the student helping everything run smoothly just off to the side. Seventh grader Graham Pangrazio is serving as the student director for this year’s production of Spamalot, a role that puts him at the center of the show’s organization.

Graham has attended Unity Point School in Carbondale since preschool, and this is his second time being part of the school’s theater program. Unity Point produces a play every other year for students in fifth through eighth grades, and when Graham was in fifth grade, he worked on the sound for the production. When auditions for leadership roles were held this year, he decided to try something new.

Students interviewed with band teacher and production director Luke Fleisher to be considered for the role. During the process, Graham stood out partly because of his previous experience. As he explains, he was “the only one who had done the school play before,” which helped him understand how the production process works.

As student director, Graham works closely with Fleisher to help coordinate the production. He describes the structure simply, explaining that Fleisher “has all the power, and then you’re right below him.” If something needs to be communicated to the cast or crew, Graham is often the one who makes sure it happens.

That responsibility becomes especially important during rehearsals. If Fleisher steps away to work with the technical crew, Graham keeps rehearsals moving. As he puts it, “if he’s helping crew, that means you have to run the production,” making sure actors are ready and scenes stay on track.

Rehearsals for Spamalot began in January and take place three afternoons a week after school. From three to five o’clock on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, the cast and crew gather in the cafeteria space to practice scenes, music, and choreography.

Several students serve in key leadership roles behind the scenes. Seventh grader Cora Craft manages props, organizing the items actors use during the performance. Graham notes that she largely manages that part of the show herself. Lighting for the production is handled by Graham’s older brother, Everett Pangarzio, an eighth grader at Unity Point. Another eighth grader, Mallory, runs the sound system, while a separate backstage director helps coordinate activity behind the curtain during the show.

Because the cast is relatively small, only 15 to 20 students, flexibility has become part of the production process. Graham explains that “a lot of crew have to step in for minor roles,” which means everyone contributes in multiple ways.

One of the fun twists in this year’s production involves the casting. Most of the knights in the show are played by girls. The change has not affected the story, he adds, noting that “it doesn’t change much about the play.”

For Graham, being the student director has given him a new perspective on theater. When he worked on sound in the previous production, he focused on a single task. Now he sees how every part of the show fits together. “It’s easier to understand when you’re the director because you get to see everything that’s happening,” he explains.

The job also requires careful coordination. Unlike a sound operator who presses buttons when instructed, the director must make sure everyone is ready at the right time. Graham says the role means “you have to tell that person to click the buttons, you have to tell everyone to get on stage, and you have to coordinate everything.”

Outside of theater, Graham stays busy with other school activities. He is a member of the school’s Beta Club, which requires maintaining a grade point average of about 3.8. He also plays baseball and performs in the school band, where he plays the tuba.

Looking ahead, Graham hopes to pursue some type of engineering career, possibly robotics engineering. In many ways, the leadership and coordination involved in directing a production reflect the same kind of big-picture thinking engineers use every day.

For now, Graham and the rest of the student cast and crew are focused on bringing Spamalot to life. After months of rehearsals, the show will soon be ready for the Unity Point community to enjoy.