Maggie Bergmark’s performance of “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” from “Sweeney Todd,” a musical set in the gritty streets of London, landed her a lead role as a love-struck tropical peasant girl in this year’s one-act play.
Bergmark was one of 19 students who auditioned last week for “Once on This Island,” which will run at Stratford’s Tift Auditorium from Oct. 19-21.
Directed by Ms. Sylvia Haynie, the show is a musical set on an island ruled by gods. While maintaining the theme of a fairy-tale love story, Haynie said the show “deals with deep issues of how people oppress another group of people.”
Haynie added that one unique aspect about this show is that “everybody’s on stage the entire time”.
The cast includes 20 students from the middle and upper schools. In addition to Bergmark, who will play the role of Ti Moune, senior William Staton was cast as Papa Ge, the Demon of Death. It was the role he was hoping for as auditions began. Other gods include Savannah Alday, Madelyn Pyles, and Johnny Cohen.
Senior Mitchell Freyermuth will play the role of Daniel, Ti Moune’s love interest.
Ninth-grader Cameron Walsh, who was cast in the chorus, said auditions are extremely nerve-wracking because “what you do onstage during auditions can make you or break you,” but right before a show “when the lights go down you start feeling your character” and the show begins to come to life. Staton said that while performing for the first time can be frightening, first-time auditionees should “just walk on stage” and do their best, because there is so much to gain from doing plays.
Other cast members include Claire Kelly, Rudy Bowen, Janie Hatcher, Stephen Mosley, Dylan Quintal, Holly Bean, Hunter Quintal, Ally Parker, Asa Marshall, Claire Kelly, Emmy Thornsberry, Griffin Hutchins, Sarah Hammond, Anna Kate Alford, and Jeffery Hale.
There will be two evening shows on Oct. 19 and 21 at 7 p.m. and one matinee on Oct. 20 at 2 p.m.
For those students who would like to be involved in the show off-stage, sign-ups for ushers will be posted on the drama bulletin board outside room 302 later this fall.
