April 13 , 2023 The Beacon • 23
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‘ Heaven Help Me ’ and obviously ‘ Footloose .’ Most of the songs that were in the movie are in the show , plus some new ones .”
The cast includes more than 30 students on stage , a backstage crew and many adult volunteers from the community . The music boosters and the community helped support this production . Students also come on Saturdays to work on the set .
“ We have a great team here at River View , wonderful parent volunteers and some alumni came back to help during the week of the show ,” McMullen said .
Ella Casey plays Ren ’ s Aunt Lulu , the town gossip and part of the town council .
“ She is like the town newspaper ,” Casey said . “ She does not give Ren any chance at all . She believes the gossip about him .”
Casey also is working on costumes for part of her senior project . She started with hemming and doing measurements for the senior choir at home , and as the year went on , she started doing costumes for “ Footloose .”
“ I ’ m minoring in theater at college and thought this would be a good experience , so I jumped on the opportunity ,” Casey said . “ They ’ re going to have matching Bomont T-shirts . The reverend will be dressed nice . We borrowed a local church ’ s choir robes , and I ’ m going to wear my mom ’ s prom dress . A handful of cast members are doing that . My character Lulu is going to wear something like a ‘ 50s house dress .”
Bree Washington ’ s character is Ariel , the preacher ’ s daughter . She was dating Chuck , the town bad guy , until she got into a relationship with Ren , who is her other love interest . Chuck is a little abusive . Ren comes in , and Chuck doesn ’ t like it . They have a fight scene . Ariel helps Ren with getting the town counsel to allow everyone to dance again . Washington has done musicals all four
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“ We have a great team here at River View , wonderful parent volunteers and some alumni came back to help during the week of the show .”
years of her high school career . If she decides to pursue it , performing arts would be part of something she ’ d like to do in her college career .
“ Being on stage is a really good experience for anyone interested in singing or dancing or just wanting to break out of their shell ,” Washington said . “ Being on stage with everyone watching you is a little intimidating , but it ’ s a great experience to open up and show people you can do it — definitely something I will keep in my memory book forever .”
Sheldon Stotts plays Willard Hewitt , Ren ’ s best friend .
“ I ’ m the good guy , pretty much the comic relief ,” Stotts said . “ My character can ’ t dance , so he goes through a couple of dances and a scene
For more information , contact Shane Harrah 740-502-3809 or jacksontownshipfire8 @ gmail . com
— drama director and drama club advisor Mary McMullen
where he does learn how to dance . It is fun to have some freedom in the dance numbers because I really don ’ t know how to dance . This is my fourth production at River View . I didn ’ t have a big role . I enjoyed being a background character , but it ’ s also fun being up front . I have a solo in the second act , singing ‘ Mamma Says .’ It ’ s really funny .
“ It is fun to build a team and a family to produce something , not only for us , but for the community to enjoy . That ’ s one of the most rewarding things I ’ ve done here in high school . I ’ m thinking of going into music education for college .”
Alex Courtright plays Rev . Shaw More .
“ I originally wanted to be Willard , but after
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watching other productions of ‘ Footloose ,’ I figured this part would fit me best ,” Courtright said . “ At the start , technically I ’ m the villain in the play . Once I have a couple conversations , I start to lighten up . It ’ s my first time in a play on stage , but it ’ s been a blast so far .”
Dalyn Lemon play Ren McCormack .
“ Last year I was at Indian Valley , and I did ‘ Wizard of Oz ’ and a play called ‘ Murder on the 518 .’ It ’ s really fun . Ren is the new guy in town who is fighting the law against dancing . I am trying to get the town to get rid of that law . I ’ m just a kid trying to get through life . His dad left him as a child , and his mother is struggling with stuff too . The only time I dance is during shows , and this part kind of brought that out . And I am learning how to roller skate because I have to roller skate in this show . The cast and other helpers spent a lot of time building this set on the stage , and I can ’ t wait to see how it goes .”
Tickets for “ Footloose ” are $ 8 for the show or $ 18 for a show and dinner combo for adults and $ 13 for children under 10 . Performances will be Friday and Saturday , April 28-29 at River View High School in the auditorium at 7:30 p . m . Dinner will be from 5-7 p . m . Tickets can be prepurchased at www . onthestage . tickets / riverview-high-school-deptof-music .
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