A different kind of Prom
The spring musical is on its way…opens April 13
April 16, 2023
Coming soon to a stage near you- it’s “The Prom”! No, not the annual party for seniors at the end of the school year. Rather, it’s the Drama department’s latest production.
Starring Eliana Megargee and Millie Saito as the main character, Emma Nolan, “The Prom” is a coming-of-age tale of a high school girl trying to come to terms with herself while struggling with the external pressures of an unaccepting school. Stunningly relevant to today’s conflicts, The Prom explores themes of acceptance, queer identity, and contrast between theory and practice in religion. Despite the heavier themes, the show prides itself on being lighthearted and fun.
“I think as a school community, [we] need things that are upbeat and happy and feel good,” said Amy Pottinger, director, on her choice for the show. The director aims to keep the shows Shorewood’s Drama department performs high-spirited, contrasting the tumultuous world many of us live in.
In the world of theater, one thing rings clear for everyone involved. The drama department’s knack for building a community is a star in its own right, bringing people together. “I love the community, because even though I am doing a lot of work, it’s just a place I can come after school and laugh and hang out.” said Corvid Grant, a member of the costumes department. Ash Hjelle, playing Barry Glickman, shares the sentiment. “People on the outside think it’s like, just for weird kids that like to sing, but it’s really a community thing, and you build like a faux family in a sense. The show is just like, a third of it, and your relationships with everyone is the rest.” Hjelle said. Clel Howard, freshman, plays Trent Oliver. They’re excited to be in Shorewood’s production. “It’s a really great community that I’m glad to finally be a part of,” Howard said.
Pottinger looks to keep this sense of community as she casts. “It’s not only about talent, it’s also about work ethic, and are you a good person, when I’m not watching you are you doing the right thing? …are they a community builder person? And a leader and a problem solver,” she said. The director does her best to look at all aspects of those who audition to ensure that they’re a good fit for the show. “It’s not only about talent, so just kind of looking at the whole person and how that will be,” Pottinger said.
Sylvan Thompson, the student assistant director, has worked alongside Pottinger during production. “My favorite part of my job is just watching things go from essentially nothing to such an intricate and complex creation of people working together,” Thompson said.
But not everything’s so happy-go-lucky in the realm of Shorewood Drama. Many students working on the production report a variety of issues the department struggles with. “We don’t have a budget usually, we don’t have any money, so we have to find all the stuff, or make it, so when we don’t have the right sizes for specific outfits, we can’t sew a full dress for every single person, so we have to find dresses,” Isabella Vazquez, head of the costume department, says. The costumes department relies on donations and the department’s pre-existing collection. Sometimes, they even have to use their own money to find the right thing. “It’s very time-consuming, very energy-consuming but still a very very big part of what we do,” says Daxton Robertson, next in line to head the department.
Head of the sound department Kaia Holt agrees. Shorewood’s Drama department has its fair share of stressors. “The issues I’ve had is being asked to do something last minute, day of the show, and that’s kind of difficult to do because there’s a lot of things happening at the beginning of the show,” she said. As the sound head, Kaia has her hands full ensuring everything from music to sound effects is running smoothly. Changing all that last minute can throw the whole show off its rhythm.
Ally Carter, head of the lights department agrees. “It’s been pretty chill. I’m waiting for something to blow up in my face though,” Carter said. The lights department keeps busy even when there’s no Shorewood production. Any time the theater is used, someone has to be there to run the machines. “Any concerts, any productions you see in the Shorewood theater, there’s at least one tech person behind it,” Carter said.
Much like the stereotypical image of stage crews as ninjas, the work of the Shorewood Drama department often goes unnoticed. With hours of hard work being poured into their shows, they’re eager to see you in the audience. Says Hjelle: “See the show. It’s really good, we really worked hard on it, and I think it’s gonna blow your socks off.”