"Put a little drama in your life!"
SHHS 8/9 Drama Department
Holiday Madness
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Santa and his elves go on strike! "No Christmas!"
December 2004:
The students participated in an audition process and were chosen to perform in either Santa Goes on Strike or A Hillbilly Christmas Carol. The one-act plays are both comedies, and they served as an excellent starting point for many of our beginning actors.
The cast for “Santa Goes on Strike” included: Jeremy S. (Santa), Sarah K. (Mrs. Claus), Miranda V. (Tinker), Candace E. (Katrinka), Erin M. (Winker), Melissa O. (Bixby), Ariel M. (Newscaster), and Eric R. (cameraman).
Each performance offered six additional “guest actor” positions for reporters who were scripted to ask Santa Claus questions at a North Pole press conference. This was an exciting way to provide some audience interaction to the play.
The second play, “A Hillbilly Christmas Carol,” was a hilarious look at a country version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The action was set in an old, dilapidated cabin in the Ozarks.
The cast included: Jake J. (Joshua Frunheiser), Liz B. (Widow Hinkley), Martin C. (Hiram Hinkley), Brooke S. (Cora Belle Hinkley), Kayla C. (Lizzie Ann), Courtney M. (Minnie Sue), and Ian L. (Ossie).
Rehearsals took up a great deal of time, but there were still many items that had to be taken care of during and in between rehearsals.
For example, cast members were responsible for choosing appropriate costumes for their characters. These ranged from a long dress for Mrs. Claus to elf suits for the North Pole story to overalls and boots for the backwoods story of a Scrooge-type character.
Without an adequate stage space in the Little Theatre, 4-foot by 8-foot flats were constructed and hinged together for easy breakaway. The scenic design was created by the SHHS art club and sponsor, Ms. Margie Brown. The dilapidated cabin and Santa’s workshop gave those young artists a good workout over a two-week period.
Rehearsals ranged from the usual hour to nearly four hours during the final week. Nerves were on edge, but the cast was saved some additional work by a competent stage manager, Chelsea H., and three strong stagehands, Drew E., Colin K., and Clinton L.
In addition to a number of shows for the eighth-grade audiences, the cast and crew of Holiday Madness traveled to Mountain View Elementary and Woodland for performances.
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