Lauren Sanchez still remembers the senseless drunk driver who smashed into her family’s car five years ago. Memories of the swift broadside impact and her father’s rotator cuff injury wedged firmly in her thoughts when she penned a high school play for the senior graduating class last month.
Performed before an audience of 400 students and parents on the eve of prom night inside Archbishop McCarthy High School’s basketball gymnasium, Sanchez’s 10-minute cautionary tale warned seniors against drunk driving and irresponsibility.
The school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions club commissioned Sanchez to pen a sketch outlining the dangers of drunk driving, the first student in Archbishop’s history to wield that responsibility. In addition, SADD members presented visitors with graphic slideshows of car wrecks and shared anecdotes from surviving mothers of deceased teenagers.
Sanchez’s play pulled no punches either. The play features two implied deaths, one from alcohol poisoning and one from a fatal car accident, plus underage drinking.
The premise: After Lauren’s eponymous character promises to keep her mother posted throughout prom night, she visits a hotel after-party with boyfriend Johnny for beer and dancing. A partygoer blacks out from alcohol poisoning as two policewomen enter the scene and break the bad news: a classmate en route to buy snacks died in a fatal collision with a drunk driver.
“I wanted the shock factor of the keymaster, Nick, getting killed by a drunk driver,” said Sanchez, 18, of Miramar. “I think the whole audience felt the impact of that scene. With every line I wrote, I keep thinking back to my car crash.”
When and why did you decide to write this play?
I’m a member of the Drama Club and they asked me to help out with a SADD play two months ago. I wrote the script and cast the actors. I was also responsible for the choreography and the props as well.
What is the message students should derive from your performance?
It isn’t OK to drink and drive and you shouldn’t be pressured into anything you’re not comfortable doing because it can have horrible consequences.
Would the graphic images of car wrecks be more or less likely to convince students to make the right choice?
It definitely can because you see how destructive it is, and it’s not a pretty sight. It’s all because of a choice, a stupid decision that could’ve been prevented.
Who are your personal heroes?
My parents. My father is an immigrant, and through great sacrifice and hard work, they gave me the greatest life possible.
How honored are you to be the first student to pen this mandatory play?
I feel pretty honored because I saw it come together nicely. We hadn’t had time to rehearse too much, but then people told me they liked it, so that was awesome, very fulfilling.
Which subjects are you planning to major in at college, and why?
Nursing. We’ll see what happens with my acting career. I’ll keep acting and performing in general, because it teaches you about human psychology. I’ll probably commit to nursing as a career, though.
Which clubs or extracurricular activities are you planning to pursue in college?
I’ll be enrolling at Barry University’s Drama Club and any choir ensembles they have. My dad is an alumnus at that college.
Where would you travel on your dream vacation?
I have a place I go already: Long Boat Key in Florida every summer with my Dad’s side of the family. It’s already perfect.
What tops the list of things you must accomplish in this lifetime?
Marry a man who loves me for me and whom I love. Then, travel around the world providing volunteer medical aid to third-world countries.
What message do you have for those students planning to drink and drive during prom?
Be prepared to pay one way or the other if you plan to drink and drive. Good luck with your conscience.