What begins as a sorority initiation spirals into a sharp, funny, and deeply human exploration of female friendship in the recent production of “Seven Deadly Sisters” written by one of Loyola Marymount University’s own.
Theatre arts major Madeline Powers ’26, introduced to the Del Rey Players during her first year through a welcome barbecue and pizza party, has since acted in several productions. This season, she reached a major milestone by bringing her original play, “Seven Deadly Sisters,” to the Del Rey Players stage as the student playwright.
Powers’ play was also recently part of the American College Theatre Festival and later advanced to nationals. She recalls, “There was a day when they had a reading of the play during the festival, which I got to see during the day, and then I got to see it also with the Del Rey Players cast in the evening,” said Powers. “It made me feel really good about the entire process, and I honestly would have enjoyed seeing it a third time that same day. It made me very proud of the show we built together. The audience is really what gave me the sense to keep going and how they reacted to the show.”
Powers pitched “Seven Deadly Sisters” for the student playwright spot last year for the Del Rey Players’ 2025-26 season. Set in 2007 near Charleston, the play follows seven nervous sorority pledges, locked in a basement and forced to confess their hidden “sins” during initiation. This single‑location dramatic comedy explores reputation, privilege, and the fragile bonds of female friendship as secrets unravel.
About a year ago, Powers began writing the play in a playwriting class with David Davila, assistant professor of theatre arts. The initial spark came from a simple homework assignment to write 10 pages of a new play. For Powers, the project quickly became more than an assignment. “I knew that I wanted to write a female ensemble piece because I love ensemble plays and funny women are some of my favorite people in the world,” said Powers. “I didn’t see it as something I would turn in and move on from. I wanted to create something I could keep shaping and revisiting.”
Long after class ended, she found herself returning to the story, refining scenes, deepening characters, and following where the work led her. “I was constantly working on it outside of class,” Powers said. “It was speaking to me in a way I couldn’t ignore. I wanted to write a very dynamic and deeply flawed ensemble of women. As a theatre student, it’s been hard to find characters in plays who are my own age. I’ve never had the opportunity to play someone my own age, or someone college-aged; it usually skews younger or a bit older. So, a sorority made the most sense to me.”
This project marked Powers’ first time focusing solely on writing a play. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “It was a new experience to just focus on being the writer in the room, which was really important for me in learning about how to develop the show and work with the cast on any changes that I needed to make.”
For the Del Rey Players production, Kelsey Casas ’25, a theatre arts major, directed the play and clearly understood what Powers intended. “I was so excited to see that everything I’ve been thinking in my head and that my hard work paid off because they understood the characters and the story, and so did the audience. I was very happy that it came across the way I wanted it to.”
The most memorable part of the process for Powers was the first read-through with the cast. “It’s a process that’s very vulnerable as the writer in the room to have this group of people reading through this and knowing they are going to be spending the next month with the words, and really work on developing these characters,” said Powers. “Getting to hear with the cast for the first time was one of my favorite moments because we went into table work after that reading, and they had so many deep thoughts about these women and their stories and their lives, things I hadn’t even thought out. My second favorite was seeing the show on opening night for the first time with the audience, and hearing everyone laugh at each of the different things was so gratifying.”
While the play is not based on her personal experience at LMU, Powers described her time in Delta Gamma as one of the favorite parts of her LMU experience. Powers shared that the show was themed around the overarching idea of betrayal and cruelty among the characters, but when you take that away, you see the core of what it means to be part of a sisterhood. “In between there are the pockets of joy and light moments that I stand for me as a love letter to my experience and the women I have the privilege of surrounding myself with. I don’t have any sisters myself, but I truly view my female friendships as part of a sisterhood, and I have found that in my sorority.”
Established in 1931, The Del Rey Players, LMU’s student-run theatre, produces four shows each year, as well as special events and performances. The Del Rey Players gives LMU students the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of the production process in a completely student-run atmosphere.
Want to apply to be next year’s student playwright? As one of the oldest organizations on campus, it is an incredible opportunity to be able to put up a full-length production as part of the 2026-27 season. As an organization, Del Rey Players strives to present plays and musicals that speak to a broader audience, providing all members of the community with an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible space. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].