Building sets. Handling technical issues. Meeting the needs of your lead actors. This is the hassle brave musical directors lose their minds over. But it’s even harder when you’re the star of the show.

FUHS Theatre’s spring production of “Kiss Me, Kate” follows the story of Fred Graham, who is directing, producing, and starring in his own production of Shakespeare’s’ “The Taming of the Shrew.”

Graham enlists the help of his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi, a past movie star who he constantly finds himself in conflict with throughout the production process. Her character plays the role of Kate.

Throughout the show, while Graham and Vanessi grapple to get along, stage management runs around trying to save the production, and the relationships that are unraveling.

Junior Janine Lutfi, a first-time lead in a musical, plays Vanessi.

“It’s taking a lot of responsibility,” Lutfi said. “You have to really become a leader for everyone, set a good example, and do the best you can.”

Lutfi’s character can be described as short-tempered and ill-fated, but Lutfi assures that there is an underlying meaning to her character’s madness.

“She’s a very emotional and very dramatic character, who has a lot of pain inside,” Lutfi said. “She’s putting on a show with her ex-husband, so there is definitely a lot of stuff running through her mind.”

Senior Josiah Haugen plays the role of egotistical Fred Graham, ex-husband to Vanessi, who tries to keep his production from bursting into flames.

“It’s exciting, and difficult, ” Haugen said.  “[Graham] is a very confident and insecure man, he has kind of macho personality he tries to put up to make up for his insecurities.”

The show is laced with exciting dance numbers, dramatic yet rousing acting, and euphonious vocals from Lutfi that will make you sit back in awe.  

Though the musical is humorous, with several kooky onstage antics from the actors, there is more to the play than one may think.

“It has a powerful message when it comes to women and what their rights are,” Lutfi said.  “This play shows how the way women are treated has come a long way, but it also shows how much further we have to go.”

Several lines from the musical serve to show the lewd and impolite phrases some people back then used to refer to women.

“This musical can come off as a very sexist play, which is not positive,” Haugen said. “When we’re saying these lines, we have to say them in a way that’s overdramatic and outlandish to show that the ideas we are presenting are [to today’s society] kind of crazy.”

In the end, the musical creates a platform for women and men in the audience to feel empowered, and proud of the progress modern day society has made to make sure that such comments aren’t thrown around on a regular basis.

“Kiss Me, Kate” opens this Friday at 7 pm at Plummer Auditorium and will run through Mar. 3-11. Tickets will be sold in the Activities Office for $8, $10 online at showtixforu.com, and $12 at the door.