By Morgan Rawlings
Staff Writer
Starting with a special performance for students on Thursday morning, the Reynolds drama department’s production of “Big River” promises to be a great performance for kids and adults alike. “Big River” is an adaptation of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and follows a young boy, Huckleberry Finn, and his friend, the runaway slave, Tom.
“Students should come see the performance, not only to support classmates, but to gain important insight into the character of Huck Finn and because it closely relates to the book,” said senior Andrew Brodeur, who plays the lead of Huck Finn in the play. “It’s a great story about a young boy’s journey to find himself in a society that has differing opinions to his own. I hope that after seeing the play, people will see how much we have changed as a society. Mark Twain was attempting to make Huck a symbol of change in the thinking that was needed during that time period.”
The show’s opening night is Thursday at 7 at the Reynolds Auditorium. It is also playing Friday and Saturday at 7. Tickets are $5 for adults and kids. Students who wish to see the special performance Thursday morning must obtain a permission slip from their first- and second-period teachers and pay for that special $3 ticket in the Black Box before the end of the day Wednesday.
While those involved in the production encourage everyone to come out and support the theater department, RJR juniors who are currently reading “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in class are especially encouraged to attend.
“The play is taken very faithfully from the book, written by Mark Twain, and any exposure to literature is an enriching experience,” director Linda Moody said. “An exposure to literature of this kind, in this format, is perfect because you learn without knowing that you’re learning.”
In addition to an educational experience, Moody hopes the audience and students alike will leave the play with a new historical perspective, especially by understanding what that time period was like for slaves.
“The school theme is social justice and human rights for this year, and Ms. (Teri) Beadle was the one who suggested ‘Big River’ because it fit into the theme that the school has chosen for the year,” Moody said of her drama department colleague, who serves as the technical director of the musical. “It also has really gorgeous music and a lovely story about a young boy growing up.”
It was also a very emotional journey for the cast and crew, including Moody.
“This week we were in one of the dance studios and Jonathan Grice was singing ‘Free At Last,’ which is one of the songs his character Jim sings, and in the song there are students who are playing slaves who sing along with Jim, and for me hearing that song sung by students whose ancestors were probably slaves in that era gave me a huge amount of pleasure because I realized the students in front of me represented the dreams their ancestors had in that time,” Moody said tearfully.
Along with being emotional experience, “Big River” was also an exciting, learning experience for all who were involved, especially considering students missed seven days of school in February because of snow.
“Overall it was pleasantly chaotic,” junior Olivia Phillips said. “I love being in the play and going to rehearsal, even though it was time-consuming. It’s been a really awesome experience so far.”
Fitting right along with Reynolds’ theme of human rights and social justice, “Big River” explores the common themes in human nature and offers a cultural insight into how American society was in the 19th century.
“Mark Twain is possibly the best known American writer,” Moody said. “He wrote about the truth as he saw it, and in order to be able to understand the situations we have in America today, it’s important to know where we come from.”
Big River
Music and Lyrics Book Adapted from the novel
Roger Miller William Hauptmann by Mark Twain
The action takes place along the Mississippi River in the late 1840s
Cast
- Mark Twain………………..Mr. Rodney Allen
- Huckleberry Finn………………..Andrew Brodeur
- Widow Douglas………………..Sheridan Cooke
- Miss Watson………………..Delaney Scott
- Jim………………..Jonathan Grice
- Tom Sawyer………………..Jacob Weinberg
- Ben Rogers………………..Steven Diones
- Jo Harper………………..Ben Bowman
- Simon………………..Matthew Arcuri
- Dick………………..Justin Hazzard
- Other Gang members………………..Alex Fus, Sydney Kroll
- Townspeople………………..Britton Seer, Patrick Hearn, Annecy Daggett, Silas Ward, Madeline Saintsing, Molly Southern, Shirley Tan, Angela Mercer, Camilla Wheeless, Leslie Watson, Molly McKenzie, Braedon Johnson, Ajuana Bruno, Olivia Phillips, Callie Davidson, Roger Stephens, Zeke Duncan, Esther Odumade
- Pap Finn………………..Jonathan Bethel
- Judge Thatcher………………..Gil Mitchell
- Strange Woman………………..Molly McKenzie
- The River………………..Delaney Scott, Mary Katherine Conaway, Molly McKenzie, Annecy Daggett, Marie Preske, Silas Ward, Ajuana Bruno
- Slaves (The Crossing)………………..Braedon Johnson, Callie Davidson, Taylor Newell, Olivia Phillips, Roger Stephens, Esther Odumade, Zeke Duncan, Iyanna Huffington
- Overseer………………..Patrick Hearn
- 1st man………………..Alex Fus
- 2nd man………………..Steven Diones
- The King………………..Jacob Klaus
- The Duke………………..Gray Kinnier
- Hank………………..Gil Mitchell
- Lafe………………..Matthew Arcuri
- Andy………………..Ben Bowman
- Tarts………………..Marie Preske, Molly McKenzie, Annecy Daggett, Madeline Saintsing, Molly Southern, Sheridan Cooke, Shirley Tan, Camilla Wheeless, Leslie Watson
- Young Fool………………..Britton Seer
- Mary Jane Wilkes………………..Silas Ward
- Susan Wilkes………………..Veronica Siebert
- Joanna Wilkes………………..Ava Foster
- Counselor Robinson………………..Matthew Arcuri
- Alice………………..Quasia Brown
- Alice’s daughter………………..Ajuana Bruno
- Slaves (Funeral)………………..Taleia Geary, Olivia Phillips,, Iyanna Huffington, Callie Davidson, Roger Stephens
- Sheriff Bell………………..Britton Seer
- Harvey Wilkes………………..Gil Mitchell
- Mourners………………..Marie Preske, Annecy Dagget, Camilla Wheeless, Shirley Tan, Molly Southern, Angela Mercer
- Movers……………….. Alex Fus, Ben Bowman
- Sally Phelps………………..Molly Southern
- Silas Phelps………………..Jonathan Bethal
- Doctor………………..Ben Bowman
- Patients………………..Sheridan Cooke, Angela Mercer
- Hired Hands………………..Sydney Kroll, Alex Fus
Technical Crew
- Director………………..Mrs. Linda Moody
- Music Director………………..Mr. Terry Hicks
- Technical Director………………..Ms. Teri Beadle
- Set Design………………..Ms. Teri Beadle
- Lighting Design………………..Mr. Jamie Hunter II
- Choreographer………………..Mrs. Amelia Hailey
- Stage Manager………………..Danielle Bruce
- Assistant Stage Manager………………..Megan Almond
- Light Board Operator………………..Violet Rumble
- Sound Designers………………..Alex Wolfe
- Sound Board Operator………………..Kenzie Ball
- Deck Sound………………..Jesy Messick
- Costume Designer………………..Miranda Poskin
- Costume Assistant………………..Maritza Perez
- Costume Assistant ………………..Catheryn Bethel
- Fly Master………………..Bradley Wilkerson
- Follow Spot Operators………………..Addy Walker, Jonah Hargett
- Running Crew………………..Darron Hayes, Claire Reboussin, Ella Watson, Matt Haglund, Izzie Absher
- Set Construction & Painting………………..Megan Almond, Kenzie Ball, Liam Baker, Sam Bauserman, Thomas Beam, Chloe Blaylock, Quasia Brown, Harrison Bullock, Sheridan Cooke ,Olivia Crowell, Callie Davidson, Ashley Evans, Erica Florido, Ava Foster, Maisie Fuguet, Marcia Fuller, Alec Gallazzi, Emily Gaspar, Emily Graves, Darron Hayes, Braeden Johnson, Allie Jolley, Ryan King, Sydney Kroll, Hope Lawson, Geron Lipscomb, Latazha Martin, Jesy Messick, Gil Mitchell, Taylor Newell, Jayla Penn, Maritza Perez, Miranda Poskin, Claire Reboussin, Emily Morgan, Sherae Richardson, Jamaeca Roberts, Nigel Robinson, Violet Rumble, Veronica Siebert, Molly Southern, Ella Watson, Ben Bowman, Bradley Wilkerson
- Headshots………………..Shirley Tan, Jacob Klaus