The Drama Club set the stage from Friday, March 6, to Sunday, March 8, for its yearly spring musical. Club sponsors Ms. Heather Giammaria and Ms. Debrah Evans chose “The Drowsy Chaperone” as this year’s show. The production brought together Drama Club members and middle school students to construct a weekend of music and humor.
The musical was a comedic production about a theater fanatic, known to the audience as the “Man in the Chair,” who played his favorite record and walked viewers through the story in his apartment. While he narrated, characters from the record came to life on stage.
Brandon Yeager (12) was cast as the Man in the Chair, serving as a guide throughout the weekend performance. Abigail Hunter (12) portrayed “Janet Van De Graaff,” a showgirl who intended on put her career aside for marriage, and Colton Blank (12) was “Robert Martin,” the man Janet intended to marry. Hannah Shaffer (12) was cast as the “Drowsy Chaperone.”
“This was the first year I truly put myself out there in auditions…because I had nothing to lose,” Shaffer said. “It was so exciting getting one of the leads my senior year.”
Many underclassmen also assumed major roles in the musical. Charlotte Rywolt played “Underling,” an old, dry-witted Butler, and Caroline Bender (10) played “Mrs. Tottendale,” an optimist and Underling’s future love interest. Nora Powers (10) took on the role of “Kitty,” a wannabe showgirl, while Madison Capehart (9) played “George,” Martin’s loyal best man tasked with planning the wedding.
Unlike years before, an understudy presumed an upperclassman’s role during the performances. Originally, Phoebe Smith (12) was cast as “Trix,” a pilot, and she portrayed this character in Friday and Sunday’s shows. On Thursday’s teacher showcase and Saturday’s show, Smith’s understudy, Cameron Stumpf (10), stepped into the role.
Stumpf was initially one of the four “gangsters,” so two middle school students, Bryce Wagner (8) and Kaylee Anderson (8), substituted while Stumpf played Trix.
Improvisation was an encouraged and often deemed necessary factor of the show. Shaffer was granted the freedom to fully improvise her scene when she performed “As We Stumble Along.” Yeager was also allowed to react naturally to the live scenes before delivering his scripted lines. This variety made each performance distinct.
“I didn’t actually plan a whole lot, most of it was just what I thought would be good at the moment,” Yeager said. “Having all the freedom was super nice. I felt that my idea of how my character should be played was at the forefront of my decision-making.”
The final scene built in a sentimental moment for seniors. When they sang the reprise of As We Stumble Along, most of the seniors—including those in the technical crew—gathered and swayed together at the front of the stage. Underclassmen lined up along the right side of the stage to sing along.
“When everyone was singing the final ultimo, all the emotions hit me at once,” Tori Lochinsky (10) said. “It made me stop for a second and realize how many months of work, rehearsals, and memories we all put into the show.”
Behind the curtains and in the balcony, the technical crew operated the spotlights, lightboard, soundboards and prop changes. The crew constructed a large, wooden airplane, which was brought onto the stage during Act II with Trix.
Sunday’s performance included technical issues that the team had to tackle while the show was live. One of the spotlight’s broke, and the lightboard reset multiple times.
“I knew [something was wrong] when the lights started to flicker, and two of the lights would only be blue,” Jonathan Bruce (12) said.
Actors improvised lines to fill in the gaps when the superficial elements failed.
The musical required months of after school and weekend rehearsals. The week leading to opening night, known as “tech week,” started on March 2. Students were at the school from 5:00p.m. to 10:00p.m. to rehearse in costume andwith the new lighting.
Additionally, the Saturday before the show was dedicated to a rehearsal marathon that ran from 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m., rather than the standard 9:00a.m. to 1:00p.m rehearsal. This was the first time the cast ran through the full musical.
Once the set was disassembled on closing night, the cast gathered in the cafeteria for a party. Upperclassmen gave senior speeches, and all members of Drama Club reviewed notes their castmates dedicated to them. Before the party, seniors passed their shoes to underclassmen who wanted to continue their roles for future productions.
Rywolt, Lochinsky, Capehart, Abigail Tedesco (9), Stumpf, Caroline Bender (10), Olivia Camp (9), Powers and Anderson were gifted shoes from seniors this year.
“Giving my shoes to Kaylee Anderson and Tori Loschinskey was almost a relief. I passed my hard work down to people that will make a difference in the theater world,” Hunter said.
After months of preparation, Drama Club hosted a weekend of distinct, comedic performances in the auditorium.
“During the show nights, being on stage with everyone…felt really special. I felt proud of what we all did together, but also a little sad knowing it was the end,” Lochinsky said.