After more than three decades of shaping young performers and bringing powerful stories to life, Glenvar High School theatre director Steve Franco is taking his final bow.
Among the many moments that defined his career, Franco said the most meaningful was the staging of “My Father’s War,” a play he wrote about his father’s battle with dementia. “It was part hysterical comedy combined with heart-wrenching drama,” he said. “To be able to honor my father’s legacy while also addressing the greater need for Alzheimer’s/Dementia research was deeply gratifying.”
Franco directed 70 main-stage productions during his time at Glenvar, but none proved more ambitious than “GRUNTS,” a play he co-wrote with former student Darren Todd about soldiers in the Vietnam War. “We set out with two goals: to honor the men and women that answered their country’s call and to stage a show that was the most realistic play Roanoke Valley residents had ever seen.”
To prepare, the team conducted roundtable discussions with Vietnam veterans, held boot camps, and even staged a mock jungle hike. They hauled 16 tons of dirt onto the stage and into the aisles so that audiences would “take ‘Vietnam’ home with them.”
The production drew national attention, including a phone call from Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and letters of congratulations from every living U.S. president at the time. “Vets from across the state came to watch. Re-live. Heal,” Franco said. “It is humbling and gratifying.”
Over the years, Franco has seen live theatre evolve—and not always for the better. “We live in a very visual age,” he said. To keep students and audiences engaged, he adapted by writing fast-paced, family-friendly scripts that moved quickly to hold attention.
Franco also played a foundational role in the Roanoke County School for the Performing Arts, now the Center for Performing Arts, which gave aspiring performers a place to grow and helped make live theatre more accessible. “It helped prepare a new generation of performers to carry on the Musical Theatre tradition of professionalism,” he said.
His own writing has reached wide audiences. His comedy “In-Laws, Outlaws and Other People (That Should Be Shot)” has been performed more than 600 times in 38 states and five countries. Still, Franco says the Showtimers production in Salem in December was his favorite. “I was both honored that my hometown theatre would choose to stage my work, and highly impressed with the incredible directing and acting talent they displayed.”
Franco credits much of his success to his students. “Being willing to be a learner while serving as a teacher has been one of the keys to my success,” he said. “It also keeps me humble.”
Among the many hats Franco has worn—educator, playwright, designer, coach—his favorite role was “Dad.” He directed his son Garrison onstage and worked backstage with his son Micah. “Few parents get to do their job along with their children—I am very blessed in that sense.”
He also cherishes his one-man show portraying Mark Twain, inspired by his high school English teacher and encouraged by the late Hal Holbrook himself, who told Franco, “You’re alright with me.”
To future theatre educators, Franco offers this advice: “Your love for theatre can’t be about your love for theatre. If we want to keep live theatre alive—we have to woo audiences with what interests them, then keep them with professionally staged, highly entertaining performances.”
As he enters retirement, Franco looks forward to traveling with his wife Ann and writing new plays with collaborator Dale Bayless. “While I’m retiring from teaching—I’m not going to spend much time sitting,” he said. “No matter where I end up—Glenvar will always be my home.”
and Other People (That Should be Shot)” last
December.
