Digging into Fall Show
December 20, 2019
As the holidays begin, theatre season comes to an end. This weekend the theatre department made the debut of this year’s fall show, “Into the Woods.” The show’s premiere was met with drama, parents, students of all ages and, of course, the fairy tale creatures all anxiously awaiting the opening curtain.
As the opening number came to an end, senior Emily Ball cast a spell over audience members as “The Witch” when she burst through The Bakers’ home and gave a magical spell of a melody. She truly has perfected her craft, as the show went on, she continued to pull the audience into her coven.
Sophomore Sophia Tucker as “Cinderella” had the house on their feet and having a ball with her sole-ful performance. There was no “agony” as Tucker’s beautiful voice filled the auditorium and as she conversed with birds.
Junior James Kelly and senior Brianna Chrysler as The Baker and Baker’s wife left the crowd rising to their feet like a perfectly baked loaf of bread with their hilarious and risqué jokes. Between brilliant singing, outstanding acting, and sorrowful death, there was no knead for anything more. The pre-formance was certainly deserving of many bouquets of flours.
Sophomore Ray Lancaster as Jack gave a bean performance with an goldenly eggcellent rendition of “Giants in the Sky.” Everyone was harping over the scene when Lancaster climbed up his beanstalk and into the alcove to disrupt the giants and begin act two.
Sophomore Ashlie Lewis as Little Red Riding Hood howled out big, bad, beautiful bars on the way to grandmother’s house. Lewis did a great job capturing the essence of her fiery red-hooded character.
The show would, of course, not have been pulled together without the help of techies and directors.
As the stage lights came up and houses’ went down, the curtains were opened to reveal the brilliant set planned out and built from the stage up by tech director Lary Gantt, volunteer Robert Koury, co-set heads junior Cheyenne Hilbert and senior Countess Whitfield. Looking to stage right was Jack’s home, stage left, the Baker and his Wife’s, later to be stomped down by the “big tall terrible giant” and shock audience members with a flawless transition.
Co-prop heads, senior Morgan Wells and senior Bela Vilchiz, along with their crew, held the shoe together with hot glue, crafting scissors, and Pinterest. From talking birds to a chicken that laid golden eggs.
Granny and her costume crew as well as co-make up heads, senior Destiny Otparlik and junior Sommer Ray, had the actors looking magical in their best fairy tale attire. There was nothing to “make up” for as Otparlik and Ray did a wonderful job at highlighting the actors best features. Multiple speedy quick changes were accomplished seamlessly with the help of co-costume head senior Emma Ritchmond and senior Jessica Wilkinson.
The lights and sound kept everyone on the same wavelength under the eyes of the bright light co-heads, senior Liberty Lawton and junior McKenna Watson, and co-sound heads senior Lucas Phillips and senior Macie Crawford. There is no shade to be thrown at these students as they kept the show amped up.
And now, everyone please give a round of applause for the “Into the Woods” directors and stage managers. Mrs. Moen as lead director, senior Colby Schmitt as student director, Mr. Jeffery Moss and Mr. Brent McCartney as choral directors, Mrs. Stephanie Jordan Levy as choreographer, and senior Austin Smith and sophomore Megan Valle as stage managers. This group of students and staff deserve a standing ovation for an amazing 2019 fall show.