The Annual Play at Apeejay’s IB School, Apeejay School International, Panchsheel Park, was a key highlight for the academic 2024-25 that took centrestage in the auditorium. This year’s production, The Conqueror–Ashoka the Great, brought to life the remarkable journey of Emperor Ashok, tracing his transformation from a fierce warrior to a symbol of peace and non-violence. Through powerful performances and immersive storytelling, the students displayed exceptional talent, while the play seamlessly reflected the core values of the IB curriculum, fostering creativity, collaboration, and leadership.
A production of such magnitude and artistic excellence would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of the creative team working behind the scenes. Among them, the assistant directors played a crucial role in shaping the narrative, refining performances, and ensuring seamless execution. Their keen eye for detail, unwavering commitment, and collaborative spirit greatly contributed to bringing play to life, making it a truly unforgettable theatrical experience.
The four assistant directors who contributed were – Tani Bansal (Vice-head girl), Faraz Ahmad (Sports captain), Ria Chadha (Tribe Leader – Fire), and Bhavya Dugar (Tribe leader – Earth).
Speaking about her experience as an assistant director, Tani shared that she has always been fascinated by storytelling and how a narrative can inspire and educate others. “Directing this play felt like a perfect opportunity to share a meaningful message about the power of peace over violence. It also allowed me to explore my creativity while improving my leadership skills. I wanted to challenge myself,” she said and added that one challenge was managing time effectively.
“Balancing rehearsals, scriptwriting, and creating visuals with our academic commitments was overwhelming at times. To address this, we created a clear timeline and divided responsibilities among the four directors, ensuring tasks were manageable and deadlines were met. Another challenge was helping the cast connect with their characters emotionally. Ashoka’s transformation is a deeply personal journey, and some actors found it difficult to convey this depth. To overcome this, we held character-building sessions where we discussed Ashoka’s history and motivations. We also conducted acting exercises to help them express emotions more naturally,” Tani shared.
The experience taught this DP-1 student how important leadership, collaboration, and resilience are in bringing a project to life. “I learnt the value of detailed planning and staying calm when unexpected challenges come up. Working with my peers showed me how open communication and sharing ideas can improve the outcome. Balancing creativity with critical thinking helped me stay focused and determined. Most importantly, seeing the audience connect with our play made me realise how hard work and dedication can create something truly meaningful, she stated.
“Being the Student Director for Ashoka the Great taught me important lessons about leadership, teamwork, and time management,” shared Faraz Ahmad. Balancing direction, discipline, and technical aspects made him more organised and adaptable. He learnt to solve problems quickly, communicate effectively, and work well with different teams, all of which helped make the play a success.
“This experience improved my decision-making and creativity, which is useful for my future goals in Psychology. Managing different aspects of the play helped me develop problem-solving skills, which are also important in technical fields. Since I am also interested in fashion trends, working on the play’s presentation and storytelling gave me insights into aesthetics and design,” she stated and added that the school and teachers supported me by giving guidance and feedback, which helped him improve his directing skills.
“They provided the necessary resources like props and stage setup, making it easier for the technical team to work smoothly. Most importantly, they trusted me with responsibility, which gave me confidence and encouraged me to take on leadership roles in the future,” Faraz said in conclusion.
Sharing a similar experience, Ria said that the play taught her about flexibility since there can always be something going wrong at a given moment in performance and maintaining your composure will result in a good performance of a show. Such resilience is essential in every aspect of her life.
“The most rewarding was the collaborative energy among the cast and crew, which fostered creativity and innovation. It not only improved the performance but also created lasting bonds among team members. Directing the play emphasised my strengths in both leadership and communication skills while guiding other actors and managing audio and lighting technically; it will apply to future objectives of handling bigger productions because I am interested in directing (short films and animation projects to be exact), as all these experiences will be assimilated into the creation of richer theatrical experiences,” she said.
Bhavya shared that she wanted to direct a play to step out of her comfort zone and try something completely new. “I’ve always been fascinated by how stories come alive on stage, and directing felt like an opportunity to be at the heart of that creative process. It was about gaining a unique experience, taking on a leadership role, and seeing if I could bring a vision to life while working with a team. The best part was the collaboration and the sense of camaraderie we built as a team. Watching the actors grow into their roles, seeing the set and costumes come together, and sharing in the moments of laughter and problem-solving was incredibly fulfilling,” the DP-1 student stated and added that the school and teachers were incredibly supportive throughout the journey. They provided access to resources like props, costumes, and rehearsal spaces, which made it easier to focus on the creative aspects.
“Teachers also offered valuable guidance, helping us refine the script and organise the production. Their encouragement gave us the confidence to tackle challenges, and they cheered us on every step of the way. Their trust in our vision played a big role in making the play a success,” she said.