After the High School’s production of Chicago, the seniors who had participated in the musical were left with an overwhelming feeling of joy and a desire to continue working in the theater program. The seniors did not want the experience of being part of the Thespian Society to end, so they decided to produce two mini musicals to be performed at the Elementary School. With the help of Mrs. Perez, the seniors will be putting on What’s Your Wish and On Your Mark June 2 through June 3, 2022. 

The two mini musicals were chosen specifically for an elementary school audience. The plays involve magical forests, witches, the tortoise and the hare, and even a story book world. The seniors decided to cast the high school underclassmen in the roles for the plays. For “On Your Mark” the lead roles will be played by Alexa Bahamondes and Christian Pensa. Additionally, Olivia Allen and Noah Hafemeister will be the leads of “What’s Your Wish”. 

The team behind the production of the musicals are seniors Isabella Moschetta, Samantha Coulton, Ella Stotzky, Carina Londono, and Shane King. This group met each other on the set of the spring musical and grew to care about each other. They formed a family within the music and arts community. When asked what inspired them to direct these plays for the Elementary School, their unanimous response was that, “Everyone got so close during Chicago, that we didn’t want anything to end. We wanted to do one last show with the cast before we leave high school.” The seniors are multitasking as directors, vocal coaches, choreographers, costume designers, and staging directors. This project has allowed them to see the other side of musical theater; what it is like to work behind the scenes instead of performing. 

Samantha and Ella are in charge of vocals. They make sure the actors learn their songs and sing correctly with the musical tracks. They are able to do this because of their experience gained from participating in the theater and chorus programs throughout their four years in high school. Carina took the initiative to create the choreography for the performance. When asked what her role entails, she said, “I take notes on what kind of choreography I want them to learn as I listen to the audios. I also direct what gestures and expressions they must have in each musical number. I take notes while they rehearse and during my own time listening to the tracks.”  Carina felt confident enough to take on this role because of her passion for dance and her ability to quickly learn the choreography during the production of Chicago. She was also made dance captain which inspired her to step up as the role of choreographer. 

Izzy and Shane were designated to be the staging and blocking directors. This role requires them to focus on working through the scenes that do not have choreography in them, making sure that the actors stand on their right mark and the props are placed correctly. They decide how the actors interact on stage as well as helping them run through their scenes with the script. 

This group of seniors have taken on a big project that is pushing them out of their comfort zone and allowing them to learn new things about the work required to produce a musical. Overall, they are excited and eager to perfect their production skills as well as being able to put on a wonderful show for the elementary schoolers to enjoy.