Freshmen at Downers Grove South High School will perform "The Reluctant Dragon" on Sept. 24 in a production where upperclassmen serve as their directors.

The Theater for Young Audiences show runs from 7 to 8 p.m. in the school's Performing Arts Center. Tickets cost $10 for general admission, $5 for children under 12 and seniors, and are free for DGS students with IDs. They go on sale online and at the door starting at 6:15 p.m. on Sept. 24, the DGS Blueprint reported.

The production pairs freshman performers with upperclassmen directors. Sophomores, juniors and seniors take on directing roles, giving older students leadership experience while easing ninth-graders into high school theater.

Justin Matkovich, an English teacher and head speech coach at DGS, oversees the production. He told the Blueprint he aims to give every cast member a meaningful role.

"I try to make sure that I highlight all the kids. Not necessarily that they have an equal amount of lines, but they have an equal amount of impact on the process and the performance," Matkovich said.

Senior Isabela Martinez Herrada and junior Sofia Cooper-Carrero are among the student directors. Martinez Herrada told the Blueprint she watches her freshmen run scenes, takes notes and pulls them aside with specific feedback. Cooper-Carrero told the Blueprint that Matkovich encourages ideas from actors and directors alike and helps freshmen shine on stage.

Freshman cast member Hannah Daly told the Blueprint the cast and student directors have been supportive and open. She called the experience exciting after wanting to continue theater at DGS.

The freshman-focused program appears to have run in prior school years. A DGS Blueprint social media post from August 2025 promoted auditions for a "9th grade play" directed by Matkovich.

Two additional performances are scheduled for Sept. 25 at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Those shows are reserved for registered local schools. The Sept. 24 evening show is the only public performance.