Rodgers opens auditions to all students
“There’s a lot of talent out there,” new drama teacher, Kevin Rodgers, said. He plans to tap that talent starting with open auditions. Interested people can try out even if they don’t take drama class. ”We had open auditions last year, and the people that showed up…were motivated,” Bradlee Health, drama senior, said.
Heath hopes that the actors will try out for the suspenseful drama “Sorry Wrong Number,” the story of a woman who overhears a murder plot when two telephone lines get crossed. The police ignore her, and to make matters worse, her husband is missing!
Also missing are enough people to help out with hair, make up, sets, and costumes. Lacey Denton, senior and president of the Drama Club, said that you don’t have to be an actor to be in the Drama Club. “There is a spot for everyone,” she added during the first Drama Club meeting. Rodgers told club members that he wants mainly student-led productions and that this year will be quality over quantity because he would “rather have two great plays than have three or four that are just okay.”
‘Faith County’ hits center stage
The theater class will be performing this year’s spring play, entitled “An Evening of Culture: Faith County II” on April 7-9. The actors, stage crew, and director have been working very hard for months to prepare for the epic comedy, hoping to have the satisfaction of entertaining their audience.
This production features the small community, Faith County, and all the small town folk who live there. In this small town everyone knows each other; whether they are married, family, or just long time friends, the whole cast is close. The community is attempting to put together the play of “Romeo & Juliet”, but they encounter many difficulties, such as the set’s falling apart and characters’ forgetting their lines.
Three characters take the spotlight in the play. First, senior Taylor Spearman plays Bubba, the dumb, rough redneck playing the lead of Romeo. Then, senior Erin Munn takes the female lead as Mildred, the older primadonna who thinks that because she plays Juliet everyone should listen to her. Last, senior Meghen Hawkins stars as Faye, the young woman who plays the nurse, who is caught up with boys and pops up everywhere.
The cast members being close both on and off stage makes it easy for them to work together.
“The cast actually works pretty well together, and whenever they have problems they set up a cast meeting to work it out,” theater teacher Hope Genes said.
This production presents a sequel to last year’s spring play, “Faith County.”
“Really, the only things the two have in common are the characters, and this show takes place a few months after the last one,” Spearman said.
For the past two months the cast and crew have been working hard to memorize lines, create the set, and provide a night of wholesome entertainment for their audience. Of course, having a little extra rehearsal time this year didn’t hurt.
“Due to the snow days, we have had to keep changing the date. This is probably one of the latest spring plays we’ve had,” Genes said. “We are having a ball.”
Some of the actors feel that because the show is a comedy, they have to put in more effort to portray bad acting, taking them out of their usual comfort zone.
“It takes good actors to be bad actors,” Hawkins said. “It’s hard to be bad at something you’re good at.”
Turnouts for performances have historically been pretty strong. According to Spearman, the number of people who show up Thursday and Friday depends on the audience’s opinion of opening night. If the word spreads the show was a success, the audience will be more packed the next two days. On the other hand, not everyone has the same view point.
“The first night is less crowded, Thursday more, Friday a little less,” Hawkins said, “Thursday is at the point of the week where people don’t have as much homework, and it’s not Friday when a lot of people are going out.”
The spring play will last roughly an hour and 45 minutes. It will be held in the BHS auditorium on April 7-9 at 7 p.m. Tickets will cost $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Enjoy the hard work from the BHS theater program.