A talented group of HHS students recently performed in a captivating local theatrical production. The show was organized by the Kre8ive Fine Arts Academy, a theater company that helps young actors and actresses across Southern Illinois. The selected show this winter was Guys and Dolls, which was performed on January 31 and February 1 at the Marion Civic Center.
Guys and Dolls is a classic Broadway show that debuted in 1950 and saw immediate success. The musical was later adapted into a 1955 movie starring Frank Sinatra, and since then has been back on Broadway several times.
The show takes place on the streets of early 1950s New York City, a bustling city with unique activities and countless opportunities. The musical follows a group of gamblers who run an illegal card game operation. The gamblers are led by Nathan Detroit, a fast-talking man who heads the operation and is desperate for money. When all hope seems to be lost, a rich and wealthy gambler named Skye Masterson ventures to the city and offers Nathan a chance to secure financial freedom. Skye makes a bet that Nathan would not be able to persuade Adalaide, a kind missionary, to go to Havana with him. Ultimately, Nathan succeeds, and the two dissimilar individuals end up deeply in love. But Adelaide is unaware that Nathan’s actions are a result of a petty bet, and thus drama ensues throughout the show.
HHS had eleven students who were cast in the show. Holdyn Westberry (12) played Nathan Detroit, the main character of the show. Sarah Johnson (12) accompanied Holdyn through her role as Adalaide. Maxx Piper (9) also had a major part, playing loyal gambler Benny Southstreet. Keegan Ripley (9), Kaidyn Ripley (11), Jake Weaver (10), Kaytlyn Dodson (12), and Frankie Patalano (11) were all part of the Gambler Ensemble. Additionally, Sophia Stash (9), Imogen Coop (11), and Jay Swedeland (11) were cast as members of the street and missions ensemble, which accompanied the scenes featuring Adalaide.
While the show just wrapped up in early February, the cast members have been committed for months. Auditions wrapped up in late November, and once the cast list was released, members have been rehearsing the show for almost three months.
There were several bumps during the performances, but the actors continued to push through. One such error included an actor skipping an entire page of a monologue, which happened to be integral to the show. The actors did not panic, however, and instead were able to improvise and include the missing details. Kaidyn Ripley gave insight into another mishap that happened. “Whenever we were doing an ad lib scene, we were all supposed to be relatively quiet, but I accidentally shouted ‘hey’ really loud, which was embarrassing”, Kaidyn elaborated.
Despite these small bumps, the show was a success, and the packed crowd at the Marion Civic Center applauded throughout each performance.
Because of the significant number of rehearsals, there have been many memories made throughout these last few months. Reflecting on her favorite part of the show, Sarah gave a reenactment of her favorite line. “Holdyn’s character was trying to get one of the gamblers who was at the mission meeting to stand up and share a testimony. He goes, “Brother, Nicely Nicely Johnson.” I proceed to stand up to push him, and I say, “Get up, you fat water buffalo.” Yeah, that was fun,” Sarah said.
For many, the Kre8ive Fine Arts Academy has offered them a chance to gain valuable theater experience and share so many memories with others. The Academy is based in Herrin and allows any Southern Illinois student to take part in their shows. Those who have been involved, even in just one show, have felt the love of the theater community.
Reminiscing on the memories over the years, Sarah said that she has “been in many shows. My first show was Peter Pan, and then after a long break, I came back for Music Man. This was my eighth show with them.”
Holdyn Westberry echoed similar remarks, saying that “my first show was Willy Wonka, which was the third show they ever did. I’ve done every one of the twelve shows since then, which has all been incredible.”
As the last performance of Guys and Dolls was performed, it was truly an emotional event for all. The next Kre8ive performance is Willy Wonka, which will take place this coming summer. In the meantime, the HHS Drama Club’s performance of Clue is set for February 27-28, which means even more late-night rehearsals and exhausting weeks for these remarkable individuals. They all have truly been dedicated and committed, and through it all have represented HHS well. From the Tiger Tattler staff, we are so proud of each of you. We look forward to seeing what comes next.
