en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 20 May 2013 12:01:40 GMT 15 By J.P. Deering
A new line-up of fall productions has arrived at Dunbar. The drama department has taken on an ambitious roster of dramatic, comedic and musical productions this fall. Coming to the stage this season will be Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen, The Wrestling Season and Alice in Wonderland Junior . Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen is a play chronicling the adventures of a young woman named Sarah who has become bored with her life. In order to spice things up, she becomes a pirate and seeks out Captain Bluebeard, the most daring pirate of them all. Meanwhile, Roger, hopelessly in love with Sarah, decides to prove his love by becoming a pirate. “The show is a silly farce that follows the pirates on their misadventures,” said drama teacher, Mrs. Alicia Henning. She went on to say that they are very excited to put on the show. Elizabeth Graves, stage manager of the play, made an observation about the on-going rehearsal process. “Rehearsals have been going really well. At the beginning they were kind of slow, but they have picked up more now that everyone understands the play and how their part belongs,” said Elizabeth. The play will be directed by Ms. Tonda Fields, a long time guest director of several of Dunbar’s productions, and will star Josh Stone as Roger, Paige Mason as Sarah and William “Peaches” Holbein as Bluebeard. Continuing along the fall line-up, the competition piece for this season will be The Wrestling Season . Because it is a competition piece, it will be performed at the Kentucky Theatre Association’s annual conference. The conflicts of the play occur on a wrestling mat and the actions are overseen by a referee who speaks directly to the audience. This play seeks to materialize a metaphor that can define high school existence realistically. Student actor, Harry Fogle, offered some commentary on The Wrestling Season . “It’s like Our Town with singlets,” he said. The drama department is hoping to snag another victory. A win or second place slot will allow them to move on to the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Harry Fogle will be starring as the Referee, and will be performing with six other actors. Last on the play roster, Alice in Wonderland Junior is a musical spinoff of the classic children’s tale. Featuring updated dialogue and new arrangements, this adaptation of Alice in Wonderland will be presented to an audience of all ages with delightful onstage interactions between Alice, portrayed by Vynique Walker, and the fictional creatures of Wonderland like the White Rabbit, played by Connor VanMeter, and Maggie Garnett, Bethany Yonts and Taylor Marcum as the three Cheshire Cats. Whitney McWhorter, who will act as the Queen of Hearts, was very excited to put on the play. “Alice in Wonderland is a crazy play that is absolutely adorable,” said McWhorter. At auditions for the fall productions, a new guideline was put into effect this fall by the drama department in which only students taking the Drama III/IV class are eligible to audition for The Wrestling Season and Alice in Wonderland Junior . Mrs. Henning clarified the subject. “It is not really a rule, [but] a decision I made to try to alleviate some of the burden of the afterschool rehearsal schedule on students and me,” she said. She went on to say that she hopes this new practice will allow for four shows this year without the greater stress level. “I like the idea of having four productions, but in order to continue that, I felt like this was the best option,” said Mrs. Henning. The season appears to be loaded with difficult choreography, thought provoking performances, and jaw-dropping musical numbers. No doubt Mrs. Henning and her students are shaping up for a year filled with hard work and long hours. ]]> Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:08:19 GMT