Curtis and his henchmen (Angela H./ Staff)
A full audience filled Schoedinger Theater on April 25-27 as the Upper School Theater Department staged the 2 and 1/2 hour musica,l Sister Act, a tale of a wayward singer placed in a convent under witness protection.
Each night was packed with friends and family, with each one having a special theme—Thursday had love, Friday claimed disco, and Saturday had the audience in their Sunday best.
Sister Act follows the story of Deloris VanCartier (Alaina W.), a lively lounge singer who witnesses her mobster boyfriend, Curtis (Sean J.), murder his henchman Ernie (Akshaj J.). To protect her, police officer Eddy “Sweaty Eddy” Souther (Billy G.), hides Deloris, who also happens to be his crush, in the Queen of Angels convent under the name, “Sister Mary Clarence.” Initially resistant to the nuns’ disciplined lifestyles, Deloris gets berated for visiting a bar but soon finds her place revitalizing the convent’s struggling choir with her musical talents. But Mother Superior (Mia S.) finds the flashy pop performances too progressive, while the altar boys (Max B., Akshaj J., James L., and Ishaan V.) and lead pastor Monsignor O’Hara (Henry W.) dance along. Along the way, she forms deep bonds with her fellow sisters and both finds her true self as well as assisting the nuns in their self-discovery. As Curtis tracks Deloris down, her newfound friends beat up him and his goons—Joey (Adam A.), Pablo (Dillan L.), and T.J. (Matthew F.). The musical ends with Curtis arrested, Eddie getting the girl, and Deloris promising to visit the nuns while pursuing her burgeoning musical career.
Stage crew included Hanna A., Charlie S., and Katie Z., with Grace R. running sound and Rachael S. manning lights. Rachael then teamed up with Adi S. to student direct to assist theater department chair, Ms. Eads. Behind the poster design was Sophie P. while Adaugo N. took the actors’ headshots that filled the lobby. Ms. Eads also served as choreographer, while Mr. Jenkins and Ms. Kristoff helped with the music. In his first year, Mr. Stype took over Dill’s role as technical director, and Ms. Jennings was a costume designer.
As for the cast, an eclectic ensemble of nuns, including sarcastic Sister Mary Lazarus (Christina L.), spacey Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours (Maria M.), bubbly Sister Mary Patrick (Sydney L.)., nervous postulant Sister Mary Robert (Addison G.), and the wise Sister Mary Theresa (Carolina M.) added to the chaotic atmosphere. Michelle (Grace H.) and Tina (Amaya W.) served as Deloris’s backup dancers. The star was the school’s community dog, Nelson, who accompanied the nuns as they outmaneuvered Curtis’s henchmen.
As the last production of the school year, Ms. Eads followed in tradition with honoring the seniors. Before the show, a handful of twelfth-graders gave speeches each night memorializing their theater experiences in a “Senior Circle.” On closing night, Ms. Eads doled out awards to the thirteen students that are leaving behind a legacy of dedication and passion: Amanda B., Faith D., Matthew F., Sean J., Akshaj J., Maria M., Grace R., Adi S., Mia S., Charlie S., Alaina W., and Henry W.
Matthew F. said, “Sister Act was so fun to work on. As it was my last show, I’m beyond happy to have played T.J. and for these past four years on this stage. The people in theater have made my high school experience one to remember. Thank you to everyone for indulging me on stage and I couldn’t ask for a better group of seniors to perform my last show with.”
