The men of the play share drinks while singing, “L’Chaim – to life!” The Lincoln County High drama club will perform “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Nelson C. Mathews auditorium beginning March 26.
The Lincoln County High School Theatre de Masque group continues to outdo itself each year in their play performances. This year will be no exception as they recreate the classic musical, “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Keeping a humble budget for this year’s performance, the crew has created all their own props. Director Pete Peterson and assisstant director Jacob Lester, choreographer Mindy Anderson and stage manager Cherry Larounix, work diligently on having the drama club conect with their characters. During practice, Peterson instructs junior performer Kendal Thomas who portrays Tevye, the father in the play, to “find God and speak to Him,” while Thomas prepares for the solo, “If I were a rich man.”
Many of the actresses were attending dance rehearsal during practice. The students all will have invested more than 150 hours into the performance by the time curtains rise.
Sound, lights, costumes, hair and make up are handled by a group of dedicated residents. Eighth-grade Derek Anderson partners with Andy Robinson on the sound. Nina Berger and Aric Bodenheimer assist with lights. The talented Kelly Wadsworth, Kathy Cook and Beverly Peterson are on the costume set. Cook, along with Evalyn Adamson and Patty Long are the hair and make up crew.
As the students practice, their excitement and energy for the play build. Lester said, “they have a great ability to present dialogue correctly, and the emotions that it [the dialogue] evokes are sometimes difficult for youth to understand.”
In her senior year performance, Kelsie Mathews plays the role of the mother, Golde. Lester says, “She [Mathews] is a surprising star due to the fact that she was so shy.”
Mathews, who could possibly pursue music in college, said, “This is my favorite musical of all time,” and relates to the play because she too, will be leaving home soon, and can understand the feelings that parents must go through when that happens. Some of the aspects of the play show what life is really like with children, how hard it is to let them go, and how to accept and embrace different cultures.
Returning thespian sophomore Brandon Jackson says he enjoys, “learning about a different religion, and being able to learn about Jewish traditions.”
The Theatre de Masque team returns almost the same line up as last year’s Beauty and the Beast, returning 14 cast members, losing some seniors and gaining some freshmen, such as Jacques Wadsworth, Tyler Frehner and Nathanael Frehner.
More than 30 high school students, middle and elementary students work to produce the play. Many of these students also participate in athletics and other extra curricular activities, including dance team.
The time these students have committed will equal the success of the performance, as we eagerly anticipate the shows. Starting Wednesday, March 26, at the Neldon C. Mathews auditorium, the community is offered nightly performances at 7 p.m. through Saturday, March 29, and with a final performance March 31. With humor, warmth, sorrow, despair and hope, the performance is sure to leave audiences crying, “Mozoltov!”
