The Prairie High School Drama Club is putting in the work, laboring behind the scenes to perfect their production of ‘Mary Poppins’ before their opening night on November 15th.
Intense preparation for the show has begun, and dress rehearsal week is upon them, meaning practices lasting up to 7 hours at a time. The effort put into this production is burdening for the cast members. Campbell Mackey, a Senior playing the role of Robertson and the ‘house boy’, said “Being in Drama means you’re always so attentive and focused on everything, you always need to have the energy.”
There is also an overwhelming amount of work behind the scenes that is often underappreciated by the audience. The logistics of setting up props alone is a very involved process. Everything must be accounted for and organized by the ‘prop master’ then “in addition to that you set the props on the side of the stage yourself” (Mackey).
Another behind-the-scenes issue is the mechanics of set changes, “One challenge in particular is being able to move the set back out and in at the same time because we have a big set for Mary Poppins,” (Mackey). Every moving component of the show is intentional, from the placement of props to the set changes, and everything in between.
Something unique about this production is that there will be a live pit band performing the background music for musical numbers. The band is directed by Ryan Messling, and cast members are eager to perform in an environment with live music. Particularly Ruth Sprenger, a Senior playing the role of Mrs. Brill, whose boyfriend Luke Lavender will be playing drums in the pit band.
Although there is much work put into this production, the experience of the process seems to be worth it for the cast. Mackey expresses his gratitude for the cast members, saying his “favorite thing is the people in it because we’re all a family,” and that culture has always made the work worth it to him. Sprenger is most looking forward to the debut of the show, and getting to perform, she “loves the experience of interacting with the crowd and hearing them laugh,” and is excited to see the crowd’s live reaction to comical scenes.
The show will be a top-notch production, and it’s encouraged for the Prairie High School student body to attend at least one of the performances. There are performances on November 15th at 7:00 pm, November 16th at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm, November 22nd at 7:00 pm, and November 23rd at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Sprenger encourages students to attend one of the earlier, 1:00 pm shows saying “We’re kind of fresh in the morning so we’re more energetic,” although she ensures every show will bring the energy. Tickets cost $7.00 for students, $15.00 for adults, and $12.00 for senior citizens.
