September 28, 2012
The
Newsstreak
STYLE - A10
Drama Drama Drama
Drama department announces Thoroughly Modern Millie as this year’s musical production
Austin Coffey Advertising Manager So far, this school year has been packaged with nothing but new. New binders, new textbooks, new classes, and much much more. However, there is nothing that can quite compare to the renewed excitement that comes with the release of this year’s spring musical. Having announced the theme for this year’s musical at the annual potluck for the drama department, musical director Stan Swartz is prepared for yet another year of performing. “Each musical has its own flavor, theme or feel. I have never done a musical set in the 1920’s before, which will make the music and choreography a little different than the musicals we have performed in the past,” Swartz said. Looking back on the previous years, with musicals like How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Les Miserables, Harrisonburg High School has achieved nothing but excellence in their drama and music department. The department plans on doing nothing differently with this year’s highly anticipated spring play, Thoroughly Modern Millie. “Thoroughly Modern Millie, is based on a 1964 Julie Andrews film and has been highly rewritten. Its about this fun silly girl going to New York in hopes of achieving her dreams, and the complications she
faces in achieving this dream,” Swartz said. Opening in the Marquis Theatre on April 18, 2002, Thoroughly Modern Millie was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won six of those nominated including best book of a musical, best choreography, and best orchestration. Featuring upbeat music and a massive amount of dancing, this year’s musical hopes to drastically pull away from Les Miserables’ theme set last year. “I’m always looking for different styles, and last year had a real serious theme. This year, I was looking for a [more fun], brainless musical... Truthfully, it is pure nonsense, full of totally silly stuff,” Swartz said. “Singers will enjoy learning the music from Thoroughly Modern Millie. The melodies are fun and up-tempo, and the choreography will enhance the singers on the stage,” choral director Bethany Houff said. This being said, Thoroughly Modern Millie is not expected to be the easiest of tasks to consummate. Throughout the years, the expectations for set ideas and designs-- not to mention the amount of higher level choreography needed to sustain the performance level of Harrisonburg High School’s drama department-have steadliy grown. In addition to designs and technical needs, the students being the actors is a main essential to this musical, and Swartz
“I’ve never heard of it, and although I know a lot of people who are kind of pessimistic about it, I’m sure Mr. Swartz will do a good job like he has before.” -Andy King, 9
QR Magic
Scan with your smart phone to view Paul Hairston’s video ‘HHS Drama Potluck’ which provides a look at the musical dinner, the anouncement, and actors’ expectations for the new dramatic year.
Katrina Sokolyuk Style/Entertainment Editor
PHOTO BY ANA HUNTER-NICKELS
TRIPPING DOWN MEMORY LANE. Senior Sam St. Ours and freshman Josh Byrd look at pictures from past musicals before the musical announcement potluck.
“[I] don’t really know much a bout it, but I think it’s going to be fun and upbeat.” -Jack Adamek, 11
“I think it’s really exciting; there’s a lot of dancing, and I’m not very good at dancing... but it sounds fun!”” -Kirsten Fergueson, 12
SHE’S A MODERN Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of a small-town girl who comes to New York City to marry for money instead of love-- a thoroughly modern aim in 1922.
Swartz takes care to organize, find perfect costume pieces
“What are your thoughts on the musical this year?”
“I’m SUPER excited for a show where we get to tap dance. It’s going to be so much fun. -Rachael Cavoto, 10
is in search of talents that run up and down the scale. “Ideally, I am looking for a student who has it all: one who can sing, dance and act. Part of what we do on stage is training kids. The musical is very much a learning experience for the students,” Swartz said. With the many perfected musicals and plays Swartz has put on in the previous years, it is difficult to think of the stage as a place of learning. But in perfecting his plays, Swartz is literally etching out the characters as he sees them, yet all at the same time integrating an overall presence of joy for the students which, according to Swartz, is something that cannot be experienced inside an everyday classroom. “The show is pure fun and I hope that the students embrace the joy through this musical,” Houff said.
When it comes to putting on a drama production, students work hard to put memorize lines and choreography, and volunteers labor over set designs. Each component is essential to a successful production, but the real icing on the cake is the costumes. Harrisonburg’s costume closet harbors thousands of costume and prop pieces, each piece tucked away and extensively organized. With the help of sophomore Phoebe Copeland who has been with him since her freshman year, Drama Mamas, and his classes, drama teacher and musical director Stan Swartz keeps track and takes care of the massive amounts of costume pieces. “Costumes are organized differently according to our needs, [and] there are often many subdivisions,” Swartz said. “For example, shoes are first separated by male/ female, then by style or function, then by style or function, then by color or size.” Men’s pants are mostly subdividedby waist size, there are other division that are divided instead by style- such as knickers. Some costumes are divided by the specific show they were made for, such as Beauty and the Beast, and others by time
era such as the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. “Part of the problem with keeping the costumes is that it takes someone with the knowledge of historical styles and costume experience to know where the item needs [to be stored],” Swartz said. Each show has unique costume problems that require extensive research, or weeks of work, or hours on the internet to locate whatever is needed. Costumes are found at garage sales, thrift stores and regular stores, and eBay. Many of the costumes seen on stage are made by Drama Mamas. “Even when I am on vacation, I usually take a quick run through the local thrift shop looking for [items],” Swartz said. Some of the cheaper costumes only last a show or two. Others can last for ten or more. Swartz is constantly on a slow sorting rotation to eliminate items that are unwearable, no longer needed or are deemed not appropriate. These costumes are taken to one of the local charity thrift shops. Although Swartz puts massive amounts of time into finding costumes, he does not have any specific favorites. “I like whatever expresses the characters and works for the show,” Swartz said. “Costumes I’ve specifically designed or ones I both designed and constructed are nice to see again.”
PHOTO BY ANA HUNTER-NICKELS
READY TO GO. Costumes hang in the costume room, ready for another year of drama productions.
PHOTO BY ANA HUNTER-NICKELS
ALL EARS. Students and parents anxiously sit and listen while drama teacher and musical director Stan Swartz announces Thoroughly Modern Millie as this year’s musical production.
PHOTO BY ANA HUNTER-NICKELS
COSTUMES UPON COSTUMES. Racks of costume dresses in one of the many costume closets located throughout the school.
Actors confident about Elephant’s Graveyard, fall one act Luke Gibson Staff Reporter The time of year is approaching once again where HHS’s finest must come together for the fall One Act play. The question on everyone’s minds: Can they be just as successful as last year? “I think Mr. Swartz is certainly capable of [topping last year’s success]. He’ll choose a play that’s certainly capable of it-- it’s more a question of having a cast as unified as we did last year,” senior Sam St. Ours said. Assistant director Phil Saunders has been involved in the One Act process for a year and a half. “I think we have a really strong group this year. Last year we came so close, it gave us a little taste of what [winning] could be
“Last year we came so close, it gave us a little taste of what [winning] could be like. That’s what is putting a fire underneath everyone to try harder and push to a whole other level this year.” Phil Saunders, Assistant Director
like. That’s what is putting a fire underneath everyone to try harder and push to a whole other level this year,” Saunders said. “I try to get on the students’ level and figure out where they’re coming from. When it comes to approaching a character, I help the kids personalize theirs, relating to their character in a way someone else might not.” This year’s play will be Elephant’s Graveyard, the true tale of a travelling circus visiting a small town in Tennessee, ultimately ending in disaster. Auditions were held on Sept. 5, and after much tension and waiting, everyone turned out to be cast. Many agree that being a part of one act is hard work, but certainly pays off. “[One act] is a lot of practice, which is really nice. Having rehearsal every day
means you can enhance your skills a lot,” St. Ours said. HHS will also have home advantage for the first leg of the process, hosting the VHSL AA District Theatre Competition on Oct. 20.
“I don’t think there is any added pressure [from hosting], as long as we stay in the mindset to be the best that we can be,” Saunders said. “We’ve proven before to be one of the top schools in the state, so as long as we keep our heads in the game, we’ll be fine.” If all goes well, the competition will continue until Oct. 26-28 at the Virginia Theatre Association Annual Conference in Reston, VA. While the cast may also be feeling the pressure from competing, Saunders gave some advice on how to keep calm and controlled. “The biggest thing is to just have fun. It can be so easy to be overwhelmed and intimidated by the whole process. Yes, it’s a competition, but you’re there doing something you love, so have fun.”