From April 11th and 13th, the theatre department presented Cinderella, a story about a young woman who overcame hardship after mistreatment from her step mother and step sisters. In this iteration of Cinderella, creative liberties were taken, adding more depth to Cinderella, the prince, and one of the step sisters compared to the Disney version of Cinderella.
Danielle Young and Chloe Jones, both juniors, acted in the lead role: Cinderella. Young expressed her commitment: “I practiced a lot after school during rehearsal and in my free time.” While practicing in her role, she articulated, “My favorite part about theatre is getting to perform with some of my closest friends and getting to learn the tips and tricks for singing, dancing, and acting.” In response to her performance, Dr. Vickers, pronounced, “Danielle Young’s voice projected subtle strength and tenor of an angel. What talent. I see Broadway in her future.” The performance demonstrated the depth of talent in the theatre department.
Turning to the role of Madame in the play, the primary antagonist, Cali Morgan, a senior and board member, voiced, “I will really miss the community; I’m really close to the people on stage.” She has acted in versatile roles, and stated, “I really enjoy having a lead role on stage.” Based on these various quotes, one can derive that WSHS students have devoted their time to the theatre department. Another antagonist included Nathaniel, who performed as the duke and schemed with the Madame. He offered, “I like about the theatre department that everyone is friends with each other, and having a stage role is nice; I have been practicing for months, and it’s definitely worth it.”
However, the success of the production extended beyond the performers on stage; Jazz Ehlers, a junior and inducted member of the troupe, creates costumes and props for the theatre department. Ehlers has competed in competitions and performances, leading to their accolade of straight superior. In addition, they acted as Lead Costume Designer in the Cinderella play, expressing excitement when their dresses were showcased across the stage. Ehlers affirmed, “My dresses that I made for Cinderella transformed, and I got to hear everyone’s amazement. It feels so special to know you created magic.”
Evidently, this monumental effort affected the audience’s reactions to the play. Alexandria Singleton, an avid theatre watcher, praised, “I’m really glad I went to go see the school play; they did a really good job with everything! I especially loved all the costumes because they looked so pretty.” Likewise, Dr. Vickers voiced, “I was so impressed with the overall troupe. The singing, dancing, and acting was fast paced and filled with energy. I brought my grandkids, and they were enthralled from start to finish.” All in all, the play was a roaring success.
