CCHS Drama Program News

Exciting Drama performances happening at CCHS!

The 2021-22 school year saw the drama and tech theater elective classes come together for a well-received performance of the beloved musical INTO THE WOODS. The ensemble cast featured Audrey Shannon (also the show’s choreographer), Rose Mandelbaum, Lia Guillerme, Alyena Galvin-Bliefernich, John Adams, Thomas Caputo, Jason Gebhardt, Rowan Bloomer, Violet Adams, and Daniel Benson. Sets, costumes, light and sound were created and run by the tech theater elective class, including Paul Kura, Skye McShane, Lucas Porter and Daniel York, with makeup by Jackson Loretto and Natalie Westergreen. The production was staged at the Michael Ritchie Big Barn in Hurleyville, on June 3, 2022. 

The first elective cycle of 2022-23 year began with BLOODY SHAKESPEARE. Students Emily Cook, Oden Kho, Ayana Banks, Rex Codling, Eliot Colburn, Walker Codling, Agnes Porter, Jason Gebhardt, Gabrielle Almonte, and Rowan Bloomer performed scenes and monologues by the most famous playwright in history, William Shakespeare. Themes of power, jealousy, murder and revenge were explored in plays like Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth. The program was presented at the new Center Stage performance space on Main Street, in Hurleyville, on November 2, 2022.

CCHS drama and tech theater students have just completed filming scenes from WE, a new sci-fi play, adapted from the classic dystopian novel by Homestead drama teacher Christopher Peditto. Cast members Jason Gebhardt, Tina Rodriguez, Gabby Almonte, Alyena Galvin-Bliefernich, Ayana Banks, and Rowan Bloomer (and ‘extras’ John Adams and Nicolo Micara) shot on a futuristic set made of wood and plexiglass, constructed by tech theater students Paul Kura, Natalie Westergreen, Walker Codling, Agnes Porter, Oden Kho, Eliot Colburn and Finnegan Wall. The same team acted as crew on the film, with makeup support from Jackson Loretto, Violet Adams, Fiona Roberts and Natalia Ivanov.

Students participated in master classes with Bosnian fashion designer Neira Sinanbasic (via Zoom), who discussed costume design and construction, and local makeup artist Lillian Skuthan, who taught students prosthetic makeup techniques to create the distinctive bald-headed look of the play’s characters. A new lighting system and fog machine, purchased with funds from last year’s fundraiser, helped create dynamic lighting and visual effects for the production. After 9 weeks of rehearsal and construction, drama and tech students came together for 10 days of intensive shooting. They learned essential filmmaking skills as actors and technicians, in front of, and behind the camera. Work on WE will continue into the next elective cycle, as tech theater students learn about editing and the post-production process. The completed film of WE will be screened for the Homestead community, at the end of the school year.

Next up: The new drama elective class this cycle is “Murder Mystery”.  Students will perform scenes from some of the greatest murder mystery plays of all time. And we are also beginning rehearsals on our musical, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, which will be performed at the Center Stage at the end of the school year.