On April 9-11, the drama club will perform their spring musical, “The Secret Garden,” in the auditorium. The tickets can be purchased online or in the student store: Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults.
Freshman Lila Eamigh plays the lead: Mary Lennox.
“Whenever we run scenes, I like to go home and then immediately study that scene, [and] make sure I have it in my head,” Eamigh said. “I like to write down when I have to go on, what props I need.”
According to Eamigh, she doesn’t have much left to do before opening night.
“Right now, we’re cleaning everything up because we’re getting the flying platforms in, so we’re moving stuff around now, but the show looks really good,” Eamigh said.
Eamigh feels putting herself in a positive mindset helps reduce her nerves.
“Putting myself into a mindset where it’s going to be okay, you’re going to do good, really helps,” Eamigh said. “At home, I’m by myself, and I don’t really have anyone to be nervous for, and I can read my lines and do what I have to do.”
Ben Cossitor, the head of the drama club, is the director for the show.
“It’s a story about a little girl who has lost her family to disease in 1900s England, and she goes to live with her uncle, who has also gone through loss,” Cossitor said. “He lost his wife, and we find out over the course of the story, what other family is living there. It deals with some sad things and loss and death, but also it’s all about how this girl brings new life to that house, and they learn to move past and live their lives by the end of the story as a family.”
According to Cossitor, people should come to see this show as he thinks it’s a story that will connect to a lot of people.
“We all experience loss,” Cossitor said. “It’s one of those things that all of human nature can connect with and I think they’ll find beauty in that, but also it is just the most beautiful music. It has songs and a score that really sticks with you, and I think people will be really impressed by the the talents of our actors, both vocally and musically, and then also in telling this [story], and showing the depth of these characters.”
Cossitor explained the process actors go through in order to be prepared for performances.
“One of the things about theater is you have to run things and repeat things because that’s how you get it to stick,” Cossitor said. “It helps the actors to remember their lines and their music, but also they have to get used to interacting with one another on stage. One of the keys to acting is reacting. You’re responding to what the other people on stage are doing. That takes time, and we are always adding things. We build a show piece by piece. We learn one song and then we add on another song, and then we add on another song, or they learn a scene and then they add on another, so it takes that kind of scaffolding in order for a show to be pulled off.”
Junior Emma Lang contributed to the spring musical as choreographer. Her 14 years of dance experience help with the choreography for the musical numbers.
“As a choreographer, I help out the ensemble with the movements that they do to match up in dance cues,” Lang said. “If there’s a dance scene and there’s ensemble in the back, we help them with the choreography. If Dugan or Ms. Anne isn’t there, I will always be there, and I have to remember all of the choreography to help out when it’s needed.”
The choreographer helps actors with their movements on stage, including one of the musical’s biggest numbers, “Come Spirit Come Charm.”
“With the number of years I’ve been dancing, I’ve been able to retain information really well,” Lang said. “For being a dancer, you have to know what spots, you have to know the choreo, so it always comes natural to me.”
Cossitor expressed his gratitude for the actors and set crew.
“It’s amazing what students are able to pull off,” Cossitor said. “The actors have been working on this since January, [and] our set crew has been working since last fall. You put so much time and effort into something, [and] it’s all for that end goal of having an audience. We really hope that people come out and see that and appreciate all of the work and dedication and effort that our students put in.”
