After going without a musical last year due to the pandemic, drama students at Martin Meylin Middle School (MMMS) are excited to return to the stage to perform "Adventures of a Comic Book Artist."

"Adventures of a Comic Book Artist" is a timeless hero-versus-villain story. Sydney Leonardo Sappovitz is a janitor for Miss Wunderman at Wonder Comics and has dreams of becoming a comic book artist. Sydney's passion for art may not come as a surprise considering her mother named her after Leonardo da Vinci. Out of a need to bring something new to the comic book industry, Miss Wunderman orders powerful Peloponnesian pens that make drawings come to life. Chaos ensues after artists from Wonder Comics draw to life Doctor Shock Clock, who turns out to be a villain. After Doctor Shock Clock takes Miss Wunderman away and no one can find them, Viola, Miss Wunderman's secretary, gives one of the magical pens to Sydney. From her creative mind and onto paper, Sydney draws four heroes who she hopes can save the day: Star Guy, Triple Time, Blossom, and Wombat Woman.

Ten students were assigned significant roles in the musical, with Ludanine Lozada as Sydney Leonardo Sappovitz, Trenton Breneman as Star Guy, Ashlyn Donaldson as Triple Time, Maria Glick as Miss Wunderman, Mia LaFontaine as Wombat Woman, Audrey Wieand as Viola, Leiana Smathers as Blossom, Isaac Staley as Doctor Shock Clock, and Shanasia Shreiner and Julianna Fry as the two narrators. The rest of the cast consists of Maddy Albright, Remy Colosi, Anabelle DeGroft, Norah Ditzler, Hope Fiorello, Quinn Flory, Jaleigh Gore, Auburn Heinly, Isabel Henry, Madelyn Herr, Sean Hess, Eva Hirschmann, Jack Hohenwarter, Noah Holland, Kendall Hoover, Joana Lagunas, Mya Matos, Kayleigh Oberdorf, Finlee Parrish, Alexis Perez, Emily Reiter, Hannah Reiter, Alyson Rhoades, Elsie Kate Rohrer, Amara Russell, Katie Sanborn, Emily Simpson, Leah Steffy, Norah Steffy, Natalie Turner, Madison Wennerholt, Frankie Yarnell, and Peyton Zander.

This production will be the 11th show that Memory D'Agostino has directed. David Griffith will serve as assistant director.

"We've seen so much growth in the cast from the beginning," stated D'Agostino. "It's just really exciting for me. Even though this is my 11th show, I still love to watch where they are, where they start, and where they end up by the time we get to showtime. And I love to watch them when they get to high school. (For David and me), it's like our proud mom and dad moment."

Live performances of "Adventures of a Comic Book Artist" will run Thursday, Dec. 2, to Saturday, Dec. 4, with shows beginning at 7 p.m. in the Lampeter-Strasburg High School Performing Arts Center auditorium, 1600 Book Road, Lancaster. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m. each of the performance nights.

"I'm hoping people will take away that sometimes you just need to put yourself out there and try even though you're scared or even when you think you can't do it," said Ludanine.