It’s October! And that means that the AL Drama department has a wonderful show put together for the school. This year’s is “Arsenic and Old Lace,” a play about murder and elderly women. The Echoes was fortunate to receive interviews from the director, the leading ladies, and a major tech/backstage person.
Mr. Steve Mandelko, the drama teacher and director for the show, was very happy with the production and excited.
“I’m feeling good, I’m feeling good. We are coming along.” Mandelko said. “I mean we are a week out and as always on a week out there are things we want to clean up but they’ll get them.”
This show also has some significance for “Delko.”
“I’ve actually been sitting on this show for years,” said Mandelko. “This was one of the first shows that I did when I was in high school. I played Officer O’hara in it and I loved it. This is was one of those shows that I was kinda waiting for the right number of people and some of the right cast to come along.”
The leads of the show were also happy to provide their thoughts on the production.
“Well, as far as the preparation for the show is going: the sets are going well, and rehearsals are okay,” senior play lead Haley Brazier said. “The big problem is that a lot of people in the show are newer and they haven’t done shows like this before. Like, they haven’t had experience in theater for most of the cast. So a lot of people are slacking on lines. But other than that I think it’s going well…My experience has been a lot of hard work. I don’t think I’ve had a show as big as the one I have now. It’s been super hard to memorize all those lines but the experience itself is super fun.”
Another lead in the show Caitlyn Adkins, a Junior, also had things to share.
“I really like it(the show). I think it’s a really fun show and it’s going to be really good and I’m excited for people to see it. The set looks amazing, I love my techies, they are so sweet. I think they are doing really good, especially with the time they have. I think lines are not going as well as they should, but they are going and we are going somewhere. I think in the end it should be a really nice put-together show…With most of the cast, I’ve been pretty good. I love my cast mates, they make me so happy. I think it’s really nice of Haley by my side as another aunt… People not knowing their lines has been a trigger for me, however.”
Jackie Moritz, a tech person for the show, is preparing for some strong shows.
“I always have some kind of anxiety when it comes to putting on a show but I have felt good about the cast and crew of this production,” Moritz said. “We’ve have a rough couple of rehearsals but I’m sure we will not have any mistakes on stage…Mandelko’s technical theatre class has always been pleasant as he’s brought an open mind and caring environment to the class everyday. Whether that’s learning a new theatre position, or just reading scripts for the next production, I left that class feeling better.”
Arsenic and Old Lace is performing in the newly renovated Abraham Lincoln Theater this Friday and Saturday Night.
