The lights start to dim, as the spotlight starts to shimmer. The curtain slowly opens, as the crowd roars. Revealed behind the curtains is the spectacular setup of stage props, and a cast that is ready to perform their project that has been in the making for months. As the scenes go on, the crowd is lured into the great performance, wondering what happened before opening night.
“Clue,” a play regarding a murder mystery, portrays the story of a murder being committed in a dark room filled with people. Where everyone is a potential suspect, the real question is who actually did it.
Charles Linnell, the play’s director, was able to highlight the cast’s talents. Linnell explains how theater can benefit students. “Theatre has such a positive impact on students. The actors practice speaking clearly in front of large audiences and gain confidence and problem-solving skills.” Everyone involved in the production gains team-building skills, and benefits from the good vibes of bringing an idea to reality.
Linnell also hand built every prop himself, with the help of the cast and crew. Freshman Lauren Dumaresq, a stage manager, added, “Most of the cast participated in painting, which was a lot of fun because we mostly painted each other”.
Aside from the physical aspects of the play, each cast member feels a special connection when they step on the stage. Senior Caroline Nieto who plays-Miss Scarlet, has been part of the theater community since seeing Broadway’s production School Of Rock and deciding that she wanted to be like the child actors. Once Nieto entered high school, she knew she could carry out her theater talents.
“It’s been such a great experience performing at KHS, and I’m definitely going to miss the community that we build in every show we do”. Though she is moving on to college, Nieto is left with a special memory.
Freshman, Sofia Villegas with the role of Miss Green did not know she would join the community, “I didn’t even go to try out”. She was actually there to write an article on auditions. Villegas claimed that her friends had urged her to try out and that she wasn’t afraid. “It was such a welcoming environment”.
Everyone should be a part of the KHS production because there really is a place for everyone. If a KHS student is interested in joining the theater community to make new friends, have new experiences, and make memories, auditions are soon. With any questions feel free to ask Linnell, [email protected].
