By Brendan Hinkle’16 & William Joseph Borders IV’16
THE ROUNDUP
After 23 years of directing Brophy-Xavier theater, Mrs. Dorothy Dunnion stepped down, and Ms. Maureen Dias has stepped on stage to take her place.
“When I was a kid, my mom threw me in dance lessons at five because I was really awkward and gawky,” Ms. Dias said. “Where I grew up I was in a very small town with one community theater, where they did shows such as the ‘Sound of Music’ and ‘Oklahoma,’ and occasionally there would be a need of a kid and I would get cast in those shows.”
This is Ms. Dias’ first year as being a part of Brophy, however she said she is familiar with Brophy and Xavier students having worked with them at the Scottsdale theater Greasepaint.
“The first time I was at Greasepaint in the early 2000s there were a whole bunch of Xavier girls that did shows at Greasepaint,” Ms. Dias said. “I love all the Brophy and Xavier kids I met at Greasepaint. Brophy seems to want to offer them a free space to play and learn the craft, which I think is fabulous.”
Aiden Cunningham ’16 has been a part of the Brophy and Xavier plays since his Freshman-year.
“She’s very well organized and she has a lot of experience working both in theater and working with youth organizations,” Cunningham said.
According to Cunningham, he was an actor last year, this year he has the title of student director.
“I think that she will be missed by several of the cast members, but she will still be on campus and a lot of us I know can look to her for guidance,” Cunningham said when asked how things will change after Mrs.Dunnion has left.
Ms. Dias has been involved in theater since about 1955, and said she’s wanted to be an actor as long as she can remember.
Ms. Dias said because her daughter currently attends Xavier she wanted to direct plays at Brophy.
The play this fall is called “Our Town,” and is scheduled to be performed from Oct. 29 through Nov. 8.
Ms. Dias said they haven’t decided on a musical for the spring.
“Rumor has it it’s ‘Lés Miserables,'” Ms. Dias said. “It hasn’t been completely decided.”
