Months of preparation culminate in Cheney High School spring performance of classic comedy farce
By BECKY THOMAS
Staff Reporter
“Arsenic and Old Lace” is a little over two hours long. For the members of Cheney High School Drama, each scene represents hours of work: memorizing lines, constructing sets, sewing costumes and wiring lights.
The group of almost 40 students showed the fruits of their labor to the public last weekend, premiering “Arsenic and Old Lace” in the Fisher Building auditorium March 4 to an audience of parents and peers.
The actors on stage engaged the audience with dark comedy, transforming themselves into deranged murderers, innocents trying to solve conundrums or—for the two leads playing well-meaning old ladies who poison a dozen men—a little of both. And while the action is the focus of the play, the actors aren't the only stars.
“You think drama, you think acting, but there are kids learning carpentry, sewing, design, marketing, electronics,” Adam Marsh said. Marsh is the drama advisor as well as a CHS teacher and former CHS student who participated in high school plays himself.
Marsh knows firsthand the benefits of theatre for students who aren't natural athletes or aren't interested in other common extracurriculars.
“Theatre picks up a lot of your kids who otherwise might fall through the cracks,” he said. “They have a home and a place here with theatre.”
Jamie Lynn Nathan directs “Arsenic and Old Lace,” which will run this weekend and the next. Nathan is also a CHS Drama alum, and she came back to lead the next generation.
Nathan said she doesn't have to do much leading because the students are excited about what they do.
“They're a really ambitious group,” she said. “They tend to be very much self starters and if they see something wrong they'll fix it before I can get the words out of my mouth.”
Nathan chose “Arsenic and Old Lace” for Drama's spring performance back in December. She said she tries to choose a show that is both fun and challenging for the kids and appropriate for family audiences. She also has to keep in mind the gender imbalance Drama has suffered lately.
“I probably auditioned 30 girls and 10 guys,” she said. “Arsenic” is actually a male-heavy cast, but girls played some of the traditional male characters, like the police officers.
Scripts were handed out before the winter break, and Nathan said rehearsals began students' first day back to school.
Every Monday through Thursday actors began running lines, while stage crews worked every Friday building sets, testing lights and fitting costumes. As the weeks passed, Nathan said the sets came together as the actors memorized their lines, blocked scenes and started running through the entire play.
“You kind of have to start with the baby steps,” she said. “Then we start slowly piecing it together until we eventually are running through it from start to finish.”
It was a lot of work, Nathan said, but the students found ways to have fun.
“They do have that perfect balance of knowing when it's OK to be goofy and silly but still get things done,” she said.
CHS theatre traditions are still going strong. Nathan said she was shocked to find out that students still do the “Time Warp” dance from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” before each performance to ease their nerves.
“That's been a tradition here since I was a student,” she said. “I don't know the origin of it but it really works, just to get out some of that nervous energy.”
“Arsenic and Old Lace” will run March 11, 12, 18 and 19. All performances start at 7:30 p.m. Following the play's run, students will have some time off before starting over, preparing for their next performance this fall.
Becky Thomas can be reached at becky@cheneyfreepress.com.
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