Microphone not working? Ask Zach. Prop missing? Zach will find it. Calling for a line because you don’t have it memorized? Zach will read it.
That’s the mindset of fourth grader Zachary Jolley, a crew member for this year’s play, “Too Many Detectives at a Murder Mansion” by Ian McWethy. No matter what needs to be done, Jolley is there, always volunteering.
For his age, Jolley is building quite a resume. Not only has he volunteered at many events, but he has also volunteered for many different roles. In first grade, he started learning the soundboard. In third grade, he assisted the stage managers. Now? An understudy.
Caleb Stocks appreciates having Jolley filling in. “It was nice because I was able to get my lines down more, even though not everyone was there.”
Actor Sam Mejia (10) frequently spends time with Jolley. “He is there quite often for concerts and other events,” Mejia said. “Now he’s really getting into it.”
West Delaware hasn’t had elementary students in a play since 2019. This doesn’t stop high schoolers from treating Jolley like one of their own.
“We would be talking and look over and see Zach,” Mejia said. “We would ask, ‘Zach, do you know anything about this topic?’ Then we’d include him in the conversation. Everyone just treats him like a normal kid.”
Reagan Reeder (11) believes that he provides some “good chatter and energy.”
“He’s just a part of the group. Zach is fun and he gets along with everyone,” Reeder said. “Yesterday, he kept throwing a net on me that we used in the play, telling me it was a wedding veil. He did this over and over.”
But it’s not just the actors who love Jolley. Director Tina Ostrander loves having younger students help with high school productions.
“He wants to act. He wants to direct,” Ostrander said. “I can see him doing that in the future.”
