Wachusett’s drama club presents: Theophilus North, a tale that conveys the importance of finding and being one’s true self.
The play will come to life this fall, November 7th to 9th. In forty five minutes, the audience will see weeks of hard work displayed on stage.
Tickets for the play will be sold at the doors, in the office during school hours, and through QR codes on posters around school. Student tickets cost 10 dollars.
“It takes a lot of people to put the show together and not many people realize just how much goes on behind the scenes,” said Carol Leschke, the costume designer and producer of the play.
Two people working behind the scenes of the show are senior Carlos Chancay and junior Evelyn Ryan.
“We’re the lobby designers,” said Chancay, “We create art for the lobby and design the headshot board.”
Both Ryan and Chancay have a talent in art.
“Sitting at home is rough. I wanted to do something and I like art, so I thought I might as well,” said Ryan.
Chancay and Ryan spend every day they can after school creating their artwork.
“I’m here every single day after school,” said Chancay, “I enjoy the social interaction I get and meeting new people.”
Another crew hard at work behind the curtains, is the play’s technological crew.
One member of this group, junior Shannon Farrell is the technology manager and an e-board member of drama club.
“I run our social media accounts,” said Farrell. “I make promotional posts and graphics.”
Farrell has been a part of the tech crew for three years.
“In tech, we have a collection of props, things to build, signs, we do much of it by hand,” said Farrell.
Farrell takes honors art outside of theater.
“I paint for tech – on the props and play with decorations,” said Farrell.
This year the play has three student directors: freshman Kaya Doucette, senior Madi Santella and freshman Brianna Kesse.
“We’re student directors, we step in for those who need it and help out with tech when necessary,” said Doucette.
Every Thursday, Doucette acts as a stage manager for the tech crew.
“It’s really fun, we create stuff, such as building a bed for Theophilus to stand on or spray painting the bike prop’s bumper,” said Doucette.
Multiple cast members mentioned “Tech week”, sophomore Kiley Kruger, who plays Hannah the red car offered an explanation for this event.
“It’s the week before the show. The tech team works on the set and lighting. The cast is here everyday for dress rehearsals,” said Kruger.
Besides tech week, the cast and technology crew have little time together.
“We don’t have a lot of interaction, the cast only goes to rehearsals and not all techies do,” said Farrell, “But during tech week, everyone works together and collaborates.”
Junior June Tadrous-Carr is a member of the play’s chorus and was cast as both a tree plus lunatic. She described her role.
“The lunatic is a one-line character whose main purpose is to add comedic relief from the heavier parts of the play,” said Tadrous-Carr,
“The tree also has a line and I help move props both on and off stage.”
Kruger described her role as Hannah the red car.
“She’s very sarcastic,” said Kruger, “She’s featured at the start of the show when Theophilus is on his journey.”
Freshman Cora Pereira was cast as Eloise, Theophilus’ tennis student.
“She’s fourteen, which is my actual age, which connects us,” said Pereira.
Pereira described what that audition process was like for her.
“For the first audition, we signed up and then had time slots with five or six others,” said Pereira, “We were given scripts to practice and perform.”
Pereira made it to call backs.
“Call backs were similar to the first audition, we found out from a list on the drama club google classroom of who had made it,” said Pereira.
The final step of the audition process involved discovering who was cast and in what roles.
“I was so happy. My dad was outside working on a project, and I screamed the news out to him,” said Pereira.
Leschke has been working on Wachusett’s plays and costuming for fourteen years.
“I usually have a vision of what I need for a costume, and I get so excited when I find something,” said Leschke, “Then, I just have to make it work for the character.”
Leschke said that she always ensures her students are comfortable in their costumes and agree they fit with their roles.
“When you are on stage, you already feel like you are on display, you want a costume you feel comfortable in and portrays who you are,” said Leschke.
On the Sunday after the play has been completed, all members have a pizza party.
“I get everyone a poster for the party, so that their friends can sign it,” said Leschke.
Farrell said that events like the pizza party and drama club winter party bring the club together.
“I help plan the winter party, in which both cast members and techies celebrate together,” said Ferrell.
Tadrous-Carr described the relationships among cast members.
“I talk to almost everyone, it’s a tight-knit group and everyone has at least one friend,” said Tadrous-Carr.
Kruger agreed, “The theater group is very supportive; we’re like a family.”
