(PHOTOS BY RICH HARDING, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
Spring productions were allowed this year at the area high schools and many of them chose to pick up where they left off last year when their work was canceled by the covid shutdown.
North Central had been working on West Side Story, but with some of the actors having graduated, Mrs. Deb Meyer the director, chose a light comedy called “Virgil’s Wedding.”
It was written up as “the social clash of the century as Ms Delanie, a high end wedding planner and her assistant, Barbie, are hired to direct a simple ceremony for two of Lickskillit’s favorite lovebirds.
Grinning with confidence and guaranteed a promotion if the Margaret Hooper-Virgil Sludge wedding is a success, Ms Delanie invites her boss, Mr. Wright, to attend the simple ceremony. But it’s a wild romp before the nuptials are exchanged.”
The cast was made up of Erica Knapp as Ms.Delanie, Diana Lopez as Barbie, Baylee Joice as Margaret Hooper, Emily Lehsten as Bertha Mae, Joshua Budd as Virgil Sludge, Stephen Traxler as Ellard, Kaitlyn Stembridge as Mama Hooper, Camden Stoots as Papa Hooper, Tesa Lopez as Mama Sludge and Reverend Davis, Ashton Salazar as Papa Sludge, Ethan Currency as Mr. Wright, Knisley Martin as MoeMoe, Paige Oxender as Grandma, Kane Loney as Mr. Perky, Briana Baker as Tiny, Jalynne Schroeder as Aunt Polly, and Kailysa Hickman as Curly Sue.
The Sunday afternoon production was rough as one of the actresses was too sick to play her part and the cast decided they wanted to pull it off anyway. They had fun giving it the “old college try,” despite some definite hiccups in the production.
Some highlights were the fun accents the students used to make themselves sound like “hicks from the boonies” and the smooth acting of Ms. Delanie, who was horrified by the backwoods behaviour.
The crew that worked on this year’s play were:
-Lighting crew made up of Makayla Meyers, Travis Schmunk, Cohen Meyers, Sam Moore and Tyler Meyers
-Programs done by Makayla Meyers and Travis Schmunk
-Set Design and Construction led by Rich Meyers and Emma Taylor
-Sound Crew and Special Effects done by Travis Schmunk and Makayla Meyers
-Ticket Table was covered by Cailyn Meyers
-Backstage Crew included Emma Taylor, Darbi Stewart, Paige Oxender, Aiden Meyers and All Meyers.
Mrs. Deb Meyers was the director, along with student directors Travis Schmunk and Makayla Meyers. This was her 20th year as director at North Central and she truly loves what she does and the kids with whom she gets to work.
Meyers was concerned the week before production that the cast was not ready, but after a dress rehearsal with an audience she felt they were ready to go.
There were Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon productions and they were all memorable.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
