With the sold-out successes of The Addams Family, Romeo & Juliet, and the Student Arts Workshop, many were anticipating the Convent & Stuart Hall 2025-2026 theatre season. However, the last-minute departure of former director Ms. Hee caused unease about what the future would hold for Convent and Stuart Hall theatre. The solution? Guest directors.

The high school productions had already been chosen at the end of last year. The Convent and Stuart Hall stage was already set to perform Clue, a murder-mystery farce based on the popular board game, and Legally Blonde: The Musical, a musical comedy adapted from the Golden Globe-nominated movie. Then, when Ms. Hee left, the performing arts department hired two professional directors, one for each show.

Directing Clue this year is Ms. Claire Houghton Renoe, a Bay Area native with a bachelor’s in acting from UCLA. Not only is she an experienced actor, her directorial credits include Shrek: The Musical, The C Word, and Oklahoma. “She’s a good director,” says seasoned actor Danny Loy, who will be playing Wadsworth the Butler in the performance, “despite this being her first production at our school, she’s proven that she knows what she’s doing.”. 

Directing Legally Blonde: The Musical is another experienced actor, director, and Bay Area native: Ms. Phaedra Tillery Boughton. Freshman James Mendenhall, portraying Emmet in the show, reports, “She seems energetic and happy about this production, and I’m excited to start.” Ms. Boughton directed a professional production of Legally Blonde at the Ray of Light theatre here in SF, so James speaks for many of our schools’ actors who are excited to work with a director already experienced with this show.

In a process different from years past, both shows were cast in the first weeks of school, allowing them more time to get off the runway when rehearsals begin. Clue rehearsals are underway and the show opens Wednesday, October 29 in the Syufy Theatre, where it will run for two performances. Legally Blonde, while already cast, doesn’t start rehearsals until November. It opens Thursday, January 29, and will run for two performances in the Syufy Theatre.

While losing a beloved director was hard, the creative solution offers its own positives. Performing Arts Department Chair Dr. Philip Harris explains: “With the short amount of time we had, I wanted to make sure we got multiple perspectives in terms of directing styles and learning opportunities. We can learn different things from different people.”