High school musical hits home run with performance, new auditorium

Contributed Photo/Terry DeWan
A HOME RUN — Houlton High School’s production of  “Damn Yankees”  was a smashing success this past weekend. Performing are, from left, Danika Fitzpatrick, Tanner Caron, Tyler Swimm, and Zach Waite. In the background are Dakota Jenkins and Nina Bessa.
By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
    Whether it was the musical, “Damn Yankees” that drew the crowd or seeing the updated community arts center for the first time, all three shows were filled to near capacity at the Houlton Community Arts Center this past weekend.
    Thirty-nine students participated in the show with 24 taking on character roles, 15 as dancers or chorus members and 10 doing the work behind the curtain.
    The musical centered around a real-estate salesman, Joe Boyd who sells his soul to the devil to fulfill a dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player back in the ‘50s for the Washington Senators.
    Rebecca DeWan, directing her fourth Houlton High production, chose her characters well. Tyler Delano, as Applegate, the devil in disguise kept the audience entertained with one devious plan after another. The adult Joe Boyd, played by Jared Tapley, passed the role onto talented Wyatt Jenkins, the youthful Joe Hardy, whose passion was to be a Major League hitter. Danika Fitzpatrick, a sophomore, played the nosey reporter Gloria Thorpe. Expression personified and perfect costuming, Fitzpatrick had great stage presence.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Karen Donato
HAPPY DAYS — The final make-up call and the last performance on Sunday found the main characters of “Damn Yankees” all smiles. Getting their makeup on are, seated  from left, Lucas Anderson and Danika Fitzpatrick; and standing, Marina DiMarco and Katie Good.
    Senior Stephannie Kreyssig played Meg, Joe Boyd’s wife who was broken-hearted when her husband disappeared from her life. Kreyssig showed off her vocal talents throughout the show. Meg’s friends, played by Marina DiMarco as Sister and Katie Good as Doris, kept the crowd in stitches with their lines and antics. Marcy Hernandez, entertained the audience with her convincing performance of Lola and with her rendition of, “Lola gets what Lola Wants,” among other selections. Lucas Anderson played Van Buren, manager of the Washington Senators baseball team. He led his ball players through multiple choruses supported by Zacharia Harvey, as Smokey and Zachary Waite as Henry with vocals and humor interspersed. And let’s not forget the baseball Commissioner, the perfect role for Nelson McGuffin or team owner Welch played by senior Gabe Hannigan, who was convincing in his role.
    The cast is to be commended for the amount of lines, music and choreography they mastered for this performance.
    “A big worry for the performers was not rehearsing on the stage until the Monday before the first show on Friday,” said Tyler Delano.
    Cast members may have surprised themselves when the play came together as well as it did. They usually begin their rehearsals on stage the first day of practice, but due to construction still being completed, rehearsals were held in any space available.
Contributed photo/Terry DeWan
SINGING ALONG — Jared Tapley delivers a solo.
    “Another new experience was having an audience in the newly added balcony and remembering to play to a level above the floor,” said DiMarco.
    The students seemed to love the stage area with more space, lighting and the new sound system. The updated auditorium added to the opening night excitement as evidenced by the actors’ expressions.
    The participants may have been exhausted by the end of the final performance on Sunday afternoon as many of them were either recovering from the flu or cold symptoms, while others were on the verge of coming down with the “bug.”
    Megan Maker, a junior, said that the cast had put in more than 30 hours just this week to be ready for the opening.
    While most of the attention focused on the actors on stage, there were important players behind the scenes. Junior high band director Kevin Mania put his skills to work on the set and as the audience noted the scenes changed in front of them just under the dimming of the lights. Mania was assisted by the tech crew with special design of the stadium by Avery Kibler. With a twirl, a push or a pull by the students, the scene changed from the Boyd’s living room, to the locker room of the Washington Senators or the baseball field among other settings. The curtain rarely closed keeping the action flowing throughout.
    The students expressed appreciation for Pam Chernesky, acting coach for the musical who guided them from beginning to end and helped them fine tune their production; Paula Gendron, the costume coordinator who found just the right styles and materials to take the audience back to the bygone days of the ‘50s and the ladies hairstyles, complete with tight page boys and poufs complimented the outfits as well.
Contributed photo/Terry DeWan
HANDS UP — Performing are Marcy Hernandez, left, and Tyler Delano.
    The sound booth and lighting control center is now on the ground floor in the back of the complex, rather than on the second level. Seasoned sound and light man, Aaron Anderson a senior this year, has been involved with various parts of the productions for six years and he along with sophomore, Isaac Brown were exuberant with the new “digs.”
    They have had the sound and light board for a few years, but it was never utilized to its fullest extent until now. With the new electrical system they are now able to control all lighting on stage, as well as the house lights and spot lights. They have three times as much lighting and the audience recognized this in several scenes throughout the show.
    Brown said, “Before the updating, we could only control the stage lights, while the house lights were controlled by someone backstage.”
    Now the crew in the booth has access to do it all.
    The boys cited one experience in a previous production when one of the cast members inadvertently brushed by a light switch backstage turning on the houselights — that will not happen now. The new sound system also provides communication between the booth, the director, the orchestra leader and stagehands backstage.
    An added feature for the audience is the new assisted listening devices for members of the audience. These small wireless packs can hang around one’s neck or be used with an ear bud. Individuals have control of the volume. This is a great feature for many levels of the hearing impaired. Patrons need only to ask the ticket-takers for a device to use during any of the performances.
    Play director DeWan, Joe Fagnant, band director and president of the community arts center, the cast and the many people who assisted with this production are to be applauded. Their efforts have once again made the community proud.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Karen Donato
NEW DIGS — Aaron Anderson, left, and Isaac Brown are excited about all of the capabilities of the new sound and light system. Even though they have had the electronic board, they have not had the variety of lights  or enhanced microphone capabilities for a production. Now everything is at their fingertips along with communicating with other members of the tech crew and music directors.
    Don’t miss the Winter Concert, scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. when the high school band and chorus, members of McGill’s Band and Houlton Community Concert will set the stage for the Christmas season.