Tioga High School Theater brings a touch of fairytale magic to the stage in its fall show, “Cinderella.”
The production is expected to have 60 people, and the cast and crew are in their final days of preparation before showtime.
“I'm really proud of this show,” Director Haley Hertel said. “This has actually been the most enjoyable fall experience I've had. The kids have really worked hard. I think they are wanting to find the success we had last year again this year, and so, they're pushing really hard. Our crew has outdone themselves in this show.”
Stephanie Ngene plays the Fairy Godmother and Gracie Lewter plays Cinderella, both juniors set to play their dream roles.
“I knew theater was a privilege, and even if I didn't get it, I'd be happy with whatever I got,” Ngene said. “But just to get the Fairy Godmother, it was really exciting for me.”
Over the summer, the duo taught choreography with the kids during the theater summer camp; now they'll be acting on stage together.
“In such a talented cast, you have to be OK with any role,” Lewter said. “Obviously, you want a role, but you're just happy wherever you end up.”
Lena Koiner plays the stepmother, a character she describes as boisterous and over-the-top.
“She always has something to say, [and] I feel like in real life, I always have something to say,” she said. “I don't have a filter, [and] neither does Stepmom.”
It was the role she was hoping for when she auditioned for the play in her favorite fairytale story.
“I've been doing theater since like kindergarten, so I just kind of want to keep doing it until I graduate,” Koiner said. “It's always been a part of me, and it's really fun.”
Chloe Neal plays the Queen, which she shared has been a delightful shift from her more serious roles in past productions.
“The entire Queen's Court is kind of comedic relief, so it's really fun to just be funny,” Neal said. “Some of my lines are absolutely outrageous for no reason.”
In the trio of three, Koli Goree plays Lackey No. 1.
He said he enjoys that the role allows him the creative freedom of movement and “the ability to be very creepy.”
“I get to crawl around during the start of the show,” Goree said.
Camryn Yeakel plays Lackey No. 2; she shared a similar sentiment with Neal and Goree about the joys of being expressive and carefree on stage.
“You just get to be funny,” Yeakel said. “You get to make people laugh for the most random reason.”
Giselle Cuellar plays Lackey No. 3.
“It's just exciting to be in costume and doing your hair and getting into the character and stuff,” Cuellar said.
Hertel shared that she’s been hands-off on certain elements of the production because the students have taken charge of the costumes, lights and sound cues.
“This is my fifth year here, and it's almost like the program's really rolling itself now, which is really cool,” Hertel said. “But they have created some magic.”
Show dates run from Saturday through Monday.
General admission and reserved seating tickets can be bought online at www.onthestage. tickets/show/tioga-highschool theatre, or purchased inperson, although available seating may be limited.
“I definitely encourage people to come see all the hard work that the kids have done because they've really poured themselves into it,” Hertel said.
