In the Voorheesville School District. drama club is not only about the actors performing on stage; it’s about a school community coming together to work as a team.
“Every single person associated with a production, from cast to crew, from student to adult … we all have one single purpose: to create the best product we can,” said Steve Suriano, Voorheesville Middle School’s drama director.
IF YOU GO
• What: The Little Mermaid, Jr.
• When: Friday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.
• Where: Voorheesville High School, 432 New Salem Road, Voorheesville
• How much: $10 adults, $6 students and children
Auditions for this year’s middle school production of “The Little Mermaid Jr.” began in early September when 60 students showed up to sing and read lines. By the end of the audition, 60 students remained.
“We don’t cut anyone,” Suriano said. “It’s a policy the school has. If you want to be in the show, you are in the show.”
Suriano said it’s common to see some of the more experienced students helping the newcomers.
“Because we are united to produce the best product we can, everyone pulls for everyone else,” he said. “All in aim of making everyone shine on stage.”
Eighteen students will be playing lead roles in the production, while the rest of the cast will be part of the ensemble.
Since not everyone can be a lead, Suriano said they like to incorporate the student’s individual talents into the show. He said “The Little Mermaid Jr.” has a nice combination of dialogue and music with large ensemble numbers allowing multiple students a chance to be on stage.
“We have about a dozen kids that have been dancing for eight or nine years, and we try to feature them in special numbers to highlight the talents that individuals have,” he said.
In addition to the lead roles and the ensemble, Suriano said there is quite a bit that needs to be done backstage.
“We have probably another dozen students who do lights, sounds and backstage that are part of the crew from both the middle school and the high school,” Suriano said.
Lights and sounds is not the only place high school students can be found.
Tenth-grader, Stefanie DeFronzo, who has performed in a number of school shows and community theater since elementary school, and two other Voorheesville High School students, Jaynie Parmenter and Noah Robinson, decided to take their theatrical skills off stage as student directors for this year’s middle school production.
“It’s very rewarding getting to share with the kids what the people in community theater have taught me,” Stefanie said.
Suriano said the three students are not considered assistants, but work alongside him, the musical director and choreographer.
“They have been involved in every aspect, including the audition process,” Suriano said. “They have as much input in the casting of the show as did me, Brian as musical director, and Kelly as choreographer. We are six equal voices … that is how much I value their judgment.”
DeFronzo, Parmenter and Robinson work with students individually and in groups on dialogue scenes, songs, dances and movement. They also help the choreographer and music director.
“I trust them to help a student bring out the personality needed for a character,” Suriano said. “They are phenomenal. They have vision for directing. They are self motivated.”
Suriano said the whole group works very well together.
“This is probably the best overall group we have worked with as far as interest, excitement, behavior and enthusiasm,” he said. “Every year is talented, but the overall group has been an absolute delight for not only myself but everyone with the production.”
Suriano adds that the talent brought to the show by the lead roles this year is outstanding.
“Ariel has an incredibly beautiful voice; Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle’s personalities are outstanding … they are all characters in their own right when not characters; and Ursula oozes evil … she does evil like nobody else and has an incredible voice as well,” Suriano said.
Eighth-grader, Cassidy Danz, who plays the part of Scuttle, said she didn’t originally audition to be the boisterous seagull, but finds that she is morphing into her part fairly well.
“He’s crazy and loud and doesn’t know when to stop,” Danz said. “In some aspects I am the same, but something clicked when I read for him. I enjoy getting to be a different person that I usually am. I get to be crazy and interact with other characters.”
Lucas Wilson who plays Sebastian, a Jamaican crab, prepared for his role by watching videos on YouTube.
“I went on the internet and looked up how to talk Jamaican,” Wilson said.
The eighth-grader played the main role as Aladdin last year and said he is enjoying the change of pace with the part of Sebastian.
“Aladdin was more serious, and Sebastian is crazy,” Wilson said. “He’s fun and exciting, and I think that’s my personality.”
Emma Ries is the only sixth-grader with a main role in the production playing Flounder. Ries said she is glad to have the opportunity to meet the seventh- and eighth-graders. In fifth grade, Ries was a part of the “Wizard of Oz” production in the elementary school.
“It’s a lot different,” she said. “I get to interact with tons of people that are so nice. Last year we just did it with our grade, so it’s different.”
Suriano adds that in addition to the cast and crew, the parents are crucial to the production.
“Every year we have phenomenal parent help,” he said. “You can’t do this without parent help. We have parents that are basically not getting any sleep for the last month at all.”
One of the jobs the parents take care of is making costumes; however, there is one costume for this year’s production that didn’t need to be made.
“Thanks to Barrington Stage in Massachusetts, we have an incredible costume for Ursula the sea witch that uses black light, and it is absolutely amazing,” Suriano said.
Morgan Galvin who plays Ursula said the costume can be a bit heavy.
“It has six tentacles in black light paint. There are six people operating them,” she said.
Galvin who has played the role of a stepsister and the stepmother in “Cinderella” and the wicked witch in “Wizard of Oz,” said she enjoys playing the evil roles.
“I actually really like it,” she said. “It’s not really like me, so it’s a challenge and it’s pushing me to do something that’s out of what I do everyday.”
Suriano said the benefits go way beyond adding “drama club” to your transcript.
“No. 1 is the sense of community,” he said. “And the confidence you see developing in students right before your eyes. I have to think that the confidence to stretch themselves in theater spills over in other areas of their life … sports, clubs and academics,” he said.
Catch the “The Little Mermaid Jr.” at Voorheesville High School, 432 New Salem Road, Voorheesville, on Friday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students and children and are available at the door.