By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

dobrien@dailynews.net

One couldn't blame Travis Grizzell if he felt the same kind of anxiety as his students auditioning for this fall's play at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School.

But Grizzell, in his first stint as play director, survived the jitters and now is ready to go it alone for the first time.

"There have been a lot of surprises, things you didn't realize went on behind the scenes," said Grizzell, who took over this fall for longtime director Cheryl Glassman, who resigned last spring. "It's been a learning experience."

TMP-Marian will perform "A Little Piece of Heaven," at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 and 14 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 15, all in the school's auditorium.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children and seniors and can be purchased by calling the school at (785) 625-6577.

Grizzell, who teaches and coaches drama and forensics at the school, said he "had a crutch" to lean on that some new directors don't.

"Through forensics and community shows, I knew a lot of these kids," he said.

"A lot of these seniors are very experienced and active in other things, too," Grizzell said. "They've been helping me along the way, and we've been learning from each other."

"And," he added, "we have some excellent freshmen this year, too."

Grizzell also is calling on the experience he has learned through working with Glassman in the Heartland Community Theater the past four years and at TMP-Marian the past two years.

"The first show I helped with was the (musical) 'The Wizard of Oz,' so it was kind of landsliding," he said. "It was a good one to delve into and get my feet wet."

One of the experienced students this year is senior Mark Wasinger, who plays the lead role in "A Little Piece of Heaven."

"Mark has been in (a lot of) different shows and has a ton of experience," Grizzell said.

Wasinger plays Michael, a biker who has been on the road for several years and gets a job in an antique shop in a small town so he can pay for repairs when his motorcycle breaks down.

Grizzell said people wander into the shop and look around, finding items they've either been looking for their whole life or is special to them in some way.

"They leave the shop better than when they came in," he said, "shows them a place they are trying to go or should be going."

Grizzell said it's been an enjoyable experience, and he is glad he chose the play for his directing debut.

"We've been doing a lot of funny stuff in the past, and this one has some comedy aspects but is a little more serious," he said. "And it has a message behind it."