Orrville High School students pick a classic story to tell
Orrville High School drama club will present the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Our Town,” on March 1 and 2 at 7 p.m. and March 3 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for students and seniors. A free showing for seniors during a dress rehearsal will be Feb. 28 at 3:30 p.m.
“It’s a great historical piece that works very well for high schools to perform,” assistant director Tom Longworth said. “Usually high schools have to do comedies.”
“Our Town” is Longworth’s second production working with the drama club. “I was in the drama club quite awhile ago,” said Longworth, who now holds a degree in theater.
Lizzy McClure also is assisting with directing the production. “I’m the assistant director,” she said.
McClure is working on costumes, hair and makeup as well.
Another past member of the drama club, McClure is a dancer and choreographer. She choreographed the club’s fall production of “High School Musical.”
“This is a great environment and a great team,” McClure said. “’Our Town’ is a classic play. It’s relatable. It’s about family, love and loss. It really teaches you about the importance of life.”
Senior Savannah Johns plays the role of Rebecca Gibbs. She has been in drama club since the eighth grade and also has been in Orrville Community Theater productions.
“It’s really exciting doing shows and preparing so hard to make something perfect for people to see,” Johns said. “I’ve learned a lot of things from acting I can use in my life, like public speaking and communication in general.”
Johns’ character speaks about how the world is so big and her town is so small. “I relate to that,” Johns said, “because it’s kind of similar to what it’s like to live here in Orrville.”
Nicholas McFarren is a junior and plays the role of Stage Manager 2. He got his start performing with Orrville Community Theater’s production of “Aladdin” seven years ago.
McFarren cited two reasons he’s involved in the drama club. “One, I love acting, being on stage, performing for people, and taking on different roles and experiencing different things through the roles I play,” he said. “And two, it’s just about the people in the club. I love all these people. They are some of my best friends.”
One takeaway from his drama experiences for McFarren is the ability to think on one’s feet.
He explained the role of the Stage Manager has been broken up in to three separate parts for three different actors. “The Stage Manager is basically the narrator of the play,” McFarren said.
Eli Ankenman is a senior who has clocked in many hours in the drama club. “I’m here every practice. I always have a part,” he said.
Ankenman plays Simon Simpson. “I like the atmosphere here,” he said.
The community is encouraged to see “Our Town.” “It’s different from what we normally do,” Ankenman said. “If you want something more, it values what’s important in life. I think it’s good for what’s happening right now. It puts things in perspective a bit.”
Denny Miller is drama director of the show and the drama club advisor. Miller has been with the club for five years, and this is the first drama they have produced. “That’s why this is a different kind of challenge,” he said.
The students are given several possible shows and allowed to make the final choice themselves. “I was proud of them for choosing ‘Our Town’ because of the challenge,” Miller said. “’Our Town’ is Wilder’s classic play of the early 1900s that talks about life in the fictional small town of Grover’s Corners. It’s in three acts: life in the town, love and marriage, funerals and the death of some of the characters.”
McFarren gives credit to his directors for helping the actors find the depth of meaning in their performances required for the play. “We have learned a lot from all three,” he said. “They have taught us to dig deeper, to find the part of us that makes the audience feel for us and maybe even cry. This show forces us to find the part in us that’s not happy go lucky.”
Orrville High School is located at 841 Ella St. in Orrville.
