Senior Writes, Designs, and Produces Play for myExperience Project

If you ask Maya Pentecost ’26, gothic horror is one of her favorite genres. She loves Edgar Allan Poe and his storytelling. When it came time to decide what to do for her myExperience capstone project, she saw a unique opportunity to adapt one of his short stories, “The Masque of the Red Death”, into a play. “It’s one of my favorite stories of his, and I thought it’d be cool conceptually to design on a stage,” she said.

The one-act, dark comedy play follows the story of Prince Prospero and his court as they do their best to ignore a plague known as the red death. In addition to writing the script, Maya took on the roles of producer and production designer. She designed the lighting, sets, costumes, color palettes, and more for the show. She worked with a cast and crew composed almost entirely of students to make her vision a reality. 

“Everybody got really excited about it, which is cool. It’s been great to gain this experience, bring my ideas to life, and take constructive feedback from other people and have the room to grow,” she said. “Our theatre program allows students to get involved with the actual design process. Hutchison helped me get behind the scenes and understand all of the pieces that go into it.”

Maya has attended Hutchison since early childhood, and her journey has been full of opportunities to explore her creativity. She is a member of the art and design cohort of the myExperience program. A talented artist, she took AP Drawing and earned a National Gold Medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Beyond the classroom, she launched her own business, creating and selling handmade products at events. Her passion for the arts also led her to attend the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. In addition, she contributed behind the scenes as a spotlight operator for numerous Hutchison theatre productions. During her senior year, she is serving as a student lighting designer and Technology Council president. Working in the theatre has taught her to be resilient.

“Operating the spotlight helped me realize that even if I do a cue too early or the color isn’t exactly what I want, it’s not a big deal… you’ve got to let the small things go so that you can get to the most important stuff,” she said.

Through the myExperience program, Maya was able to explore her career interests, ultimately learning more about what she wants to pursue. Initially, she thought she wanted to pursue a career in architecture. Her cohort visited Chicago in summer 2024, and on their trip, they met with an exhibit designer at the Shedd Aquarium. This inspired her to look into careers she hadn’t heard of before, leading her to production design.

Also a strong student, Maya is a member of the Cum Laude Society and the 30+ Club. As a junior, she received the Dartmouth College book award, which recognizes a top student who demonstrates excellence in English and creative writing. “My art teachers helped me grow as an artist and improve at communicating my ideas. My English teachers have helped me grow my passion for reading and encouraged me to explore more classic literature,” she said. “All of my teachers have been great about encouraging my classmates and me to pursue whatever we’re interested in, even if it’s outside the curriculum.”