WHS Drama Club concludes 100th season with 'Let It Be'

The final event of the Wooster High School Drama Club’s 100th birthday season is set to be staged July 10-12 at 7 p.m. and July 13 at 2 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Wooster High School. The show, “Let It Be,” is a celebration of the music of The Beatles but does not actually feature the Fab Four.

“It is a unique show in that it tells the story of a group of individuals leaving high school and encountering the turbulent but also beautiful times of the late 1960s/early ‘70s, all told through the music of The Beatles,” Director Brett Hiner said. “There is no dialogue; the story is told through song, dance, lighting and digital projections that we hope will transport the audience back to the British Invasion and how the music of The Beatles captured an era.”

As it is a musical, concluding a season that featured “Annie,” the plays “The Bookstore” and “Our Place,” and a visit from Broadway star Alex Brightman (among other monthly surprises), Hiner said he wanted the show to embody what the club has meant to Wooster High School for 100 years.

“We opened auditions to everyone,” Hiner said. “Any current and/or former member was able to audition, and as a result, we have cast members that graduated upward of over 10 years ago, as well as current members. However, we also invited former members who could not commit to our rehearsal schedule to join us for the show’s finale. Close to 40 folks answered the call, with our oldest member being a 1968 graduate. That is pretty wild.”

WHS Class of 2019 graduate Holden Jackson, who will portray James, a soldier in the Vietnam War, is happy to be back on the PAC stage after being a member of the club all five years he attended Wooster High School.

“Being back has been a real pleasure,” he said. “Getting to see how the new group of students has upheld the traditions of the club is very rewarding. And forming new relationships with the cast and crew has been awesome.”

These sentiments are shared by Emily Hammond, WHS 2024 graduate and former club vice president, who will portray Brigit.

“It has been a dream come true to be back on the PAC stage because it is an opportunity I never thought I would have again (with the Drama Club),” Hammond said. "'Let It Be’ is different than anything I was involved in in high school; there is a different kind of energy brought to the stage when working with experienced actors who have been through and understand the demands of a WHS Drama Club musical. It has been a joy to witness the talent of current members and those who came before me.”

The show features a cast of 25 current and former Drama Club members, serving in multiple roles, as well as a live band that will serve as the pit for the show. However, the band will be featured on stage and, at times, also will serve as characters in the show.

Hiner said his hope for the show, aside from the pleasure of working with the cast, is the audience will not only join in the celebration of the musical icons The Beatles continue to be, but also help celebrate 100 years of the Drama Club and the quality live theater the club has put forth over that time.

“I hope 10, 15, 25 years from now, we can all look back and appreciate what we accomplished this school year,” Hiner said. “From the students and their families to the amazing adults on the production team who have invested so much of their time and energy into these shows and students over the years, none of this happens without their dedicated efforts. I am blessed they continue to join us on this journey. But I am looking forward to a little break after ‘Let It Be,’ even if the work has already begun on the fall production of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’”

Tickets for “Let It Be” can be purchased at www.ticketpeak.co/whsdrama. They are $12 for adults and $10 for senior citizens and students. They also can be purchased at the door 30 minutes before each show.