As last year’s One Act cast gathered in a hotel in Norfolk the night before state, no one was pacing the halls with anxiety or worrying about the following day’s performance of “By The Bog of Cats.” Instead, leads Maya Huber and Roxy Lightle were given funerals for their characters while the rest of the cast gave the eulogies.
For the past two years, GHS has put out a dark, dreary drama, with them placing runner-up in 2022 and third in 2023 at the state competition. However, the directors collectively chose a lighter-hearted show this year.
“I think comedies are easier to rehearse over and over and over again,” said Caitlin Hays, the one act assistant director. “It can be difficult because sometimes the directors don’t laugh when they’ve heard the joke a million times, but usually the season is lighter. When you’re doing a drama or a really dark show, rehearsing for 12 weeks can be kind of depressing. So, I’m excited about that.”
This year’s One Act production is a comedic musical titled “The Drowsy Chaperone,” which follows the character “Man in Chair” as his records come to life in his lonely apartment. However, GHS’s version will include a “Woman in Chair” instead, played by junior Haley Burtwistle.
Much of the cast is made up of returning student actors, like senior Drew Miller, who will play Broadway producer Feldzieg. Throughout the production, he tries to convince actress Janet Van De Graaf, portrayed by junior Rebecca Roberts, to continue starring in his Broadway show after Van De Graaf decides to get married and leave show business. Additionally, senior Clayton Angland will star as Aldolpho, who Feldzieg enlists to seduce Van De Graaf and sabotage her relationship with her fiance Robert, played by sophomore Peyton Hammond.
“Some of the students that had roles last year, like Drew Miller and Clayton Angland and Roxy Lightle all have roles again this year,” Hays said, “but we’re really excited for a couple people to step up in major roles that maybe hadn’t had them in the past, so Rebecca Roberts, Haley Burtwistle, Claire Miller. So it’s a really, really good group this year.”
“The Drowsy Chaperone” will be a stark contrast to last year’s drama, “By the Bog of Cats.” Last year’s One Act filled the stage with dark landscapes and murder, whereas this year’s is filled with laughter and satirizes musicals from the 1920s.
“I think this year totally contrasts last year because last year was (a) really sad drama. Like death, tears, blood, all this sad stuff,” Roberts said. “And then this year is literally just like, hey, we’re getting married, she’s a big show girl, and it’s just like comedy after comedy, joke after joke. (My) freshmen year’s show, because it was ‘Stone Creek Sorrow,’ it was still a drama, so it kind of just brings out, like, the bright, funny, sunshine side of the (show).”
Another change this year is the addition of Hays as a One Act assistant director. She comes from Fremont High School where she directed One Act for five years and led them to state three of those five years. Both of her parents were involved in theater, with her dad being a professional actor and high school choir teacher. This inspired her to become involved in theater as well.
“I did a performing arts program out of California called the Young Americans for two years,” Hays said. “I got to take classes in the performing arts, perform with Broadway professionals and then also travel all around the world teaching singing and dancing and acting. Then I went to college and got a degree in musical theater. After college, I moved straight to Chicago and was a professional actor for three years.”
Hays said she believes that the biggest challenge this year will be her getting to know the students. However, this is what she also looks forward to.
“I’m also just really excited to get to know the new students,” Hays said “My kind of philosophy as both a director and as a teacher is that everything is what is best for students. You can’t really figure out what that is until you get to know them, and I love, I love my students. I love sharing theater with them. It is my favorite thing in the whole world.”
Every returning cast, crew, and staff member involved hopes to redeem themselves from last year. GHS will compete in Class B conferences the week of Thanksgiving with districts on Dec. 7 and state being held later that month.
“I really hope that we go to State, knock on wood,” Lightle said. “I don’t know, I just want to make it to State because last year was very heartbreaking, our season, and I kind of want redemption. And I want our streak back.”
