Maggie Pasztor
Staff Writer
December 15, 2023
Hopefully not breaking a leg - Carter Kinnett (10) and Zabelle Mkhitaryan (9) get into character.
First introduced during COVID by WHS, Student Scenes is a production loved by many, allowing students to take full control and creative liberty.
Actors share exactly what is so special about Student Scenes and little sneak peeks of what is to come this January 5.
“Student Scenes is really about bringing out the creativity of students with writing, directing, or even being actors in the scenes,” junior Bree Garver, one of the many actors involved in the production, shared.
Actors all agreed that this is a great alternative to the typical setup of plays and musicals because directors have a minimal say and the entire performance is practically student-run.
It too is an amazing opportunity for beginner actors to “develop [their] skills in theater a bit more. Each and every time you go you can learn something new, as student directors will give you helpful notes after rehearsals,” sophomore Mylee Ellis said.
Not only is it a great opportunity to grow as an actor, but actors involved overwhelmingly stress how fun the experience is.
“My favorite moment was on the very first day of rehearsal; one of the interns who was working brought out a bag of Kroger cheddar cheese and everyone just went crazy eating it,” freshman Teddy Epstein shared.
The unique behind-the-scenes moments aren’t the only memorable thing about being in the show. Actors have also learned to love the roles they were given and become one with them.
“I am in Ella Crite’s scene, ‘Trapped’ and I play Ramira,” sophomore Abby Brown mentioned. “Ramira is basically like a hot-head; the first word of her description is ‘the mean one’. She yells a lot, she’s really easy to anger and she’s friends with Mac Kinnleigh, who’s kind of like the stupid one.”
Characters certainly differ throughout the scenes, and some of these characters have very specific goals.
“I am in ‘The Law Office of Jim Kidney’ and I play Emily, a six-year-old girl,” freshman Lucy Platt said. “She is upset that her Blarbie, a rip-off dollar store Barbie, is the wrong shade of pink.”
From characters who are sassy, characters who are timid, and characters who are upset that their Blarbie is the wrong color, actors have the chance to familiarize themselves with characters who may be entirely different from their personalities.
“Currently I am in ‘The Boba Charm’ and I play a jock,” sophomore Carter Kinnett said. “My character is a bit of an air-head and is always looking to get some of the girls. So far my favorite moment is this one part where I have to pretend I can’t do three pushups and it’s funny every single time.”
These characters were created by the student directors and writers who made the scenes come to life, and these directors reflect on how wonderful of a showing it has been thus far.
“My scene is called ‘Trapped.’ It's about 5 different people who get trapped in a room together during a party and it’s a comedy about them fighting,” senior Ella Crites said. “I love being able to see the people that I chose for my roles grow in their characterization through time; they’ve all done amazing with their characters. They take direction really well and it’s amazing to see them grow in their abilities and talents.”
Overall, students involved agree that this production will be worthwhile to see and that theater as a whole has served as a saving grace to many.
“You really get to know an amazing set of people, before this year I knew no one and without theater, it would not have been possible for me to integrate into high school,” freshman Terrence Gorman said. “Especially as a freshman it was really nerve-racking, but now I’m really glad I did it because now I have a lot of new friends.”