This year, the ORR Theater Class is proud to present Harry Potter’s Shakespearean Adventure, starring Cuyler Mathieu as Ron Weasley, Baylen Brunelle as Harry Potter, and Brianna Lynch as Hermione Granger. The production takes place on Thursday, May 24, at 7:00 pm in the Old Rochester Regional High School Auditorium.
Theater is a second semester English elective that is open to students in Grades 9 through 12. The class provides a unique opportunity for all students – both veterans and novices – to participate in some form of stagecraft.
For senior Hannah Farais, Theater helped her be more confident in life and on the stage.
“I was really shy as a freshman,” said Farais. “I just kind of wanted a way to get out there and figured it would give me an excuse to get out of my shell, and it really helped.”
Students may choose between a variety of positions in the class – assistant director, stage manager, assistant manager, choreographer, actor, dancer, set designer, stage left/right crew, lighting or sound board operator, or props manager. If a student wants to be in the class but is nervous about being on stage, that’s okay because there are plenty of offstage roles.
A Drama Club member for three years and now taking Theater in her senior year, Georgie Battaglia was more than happy to be put in charge of the sound board for the show. When asked if she believed others should take the class, Battaglia said, “I would definitely recommend this program because it’s a good stepping stone.”
The class is taught by Kathleen Brunelle, who has been teaching this class for the past 19 years. The class puts together a mash-up of some of Shakespeare’s most well-known scenes, from the funniest comedies to the most harrowing tragedies.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Rochester Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks to the grant, students have more materials and costumes to work with this semester.
In this year’s production, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger use their “time turner” to visit famous scenes from Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, A Winter’s Tale, Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, Antony and Cleopatra, andLove’s Labour’s Lost while a bedridden Ron Weasley narrates. The dialogue for Harry, Hermione, and Ron is placed in iambic pentameter by Brunelle who, with the help of the previous year’s students, chooses the scenes and music for the production.
Playing the narrator Ron, Cuyler Mathieu originally intended to be part of the lighting crew. He tried out for Ron as a joke, unaware that he was a perfect fit for the role. Although taking the class was something that his siblings had done before him, Mathieu was excited to experience the class for the first time this year. Mathieu believes that Ms. Brunelle makes a great director, as she is “forgiving and gives helpful criticism,” which helps the production to improve.
For Brunelle, one of the best aspects of her class is that “…Students have the opportunity to take a creative hand in the production.” Brunelle believes that the input of her students is very important to the creation of the show and takes their suggestions for the script, set, choreography, and cast.
“The final product is truly a creative collaboration of which the students are proud,” said Brunelle. “Even more importantly, theater is a creative outlet where students can come together, work hard, and have fun.”
Tickets for the show are available at the door for $1, and the students couldn’t be more excited to share their hard work with their community.
ORR Update
By Grace Mastroianni