Strathmore High School to put on Pulitzer Prize winning play

Andrea Roberts
Times Intern

 

Strathmore High School (SHS) drama students will soon bring to life Our Town, a Pulitzer Prize winning three-act-play about life in a small town.
The story follows the daily lives of the fictional characters of Grover’s Corners in the United States in the early 20th century. The first act is about daily life, act two is about love and marriage, and act three is about death and dying.
“I chose it because it is such a beautiful story with such rich characters,” said Paula Richardson, the drama teacher in charge. “[They have] so many layers to them and honestly there is a character in the show, they are the story teller and they have pages and pages of monologues to memorize. My kids are just doing a fabulous job that are cast in those roles.”
The cast is made up of students from Grades 11-12, and Richardson explained that they had been hard at work learning their lines in time for the production. The students had to go back to their theatre basics, as the play requires very few props to be used.
According to Richardson, the writer did this on purpose to ensure that the audience focuses on the characters and the story. It also means that the actors will have to mime out most of the actions.
“There is no fancy lighting, there is no fancy special effects. Almost all of our stuff is done by our students,” said Richardson.
She also added that it was great for her students in terms of character development and they don’t have to worry about special effects.
Richardson was also thankful to have guest director, Paula Furfaro, join the show to share her expertise. Furfaro is an aide at SHS but has a background in acting on stage and television.
The show is family-friendly and will run from June 5-8 at 7 p.m. at the Strathmore High School theatre. Tickets cost $10 each and can be purchased at the door or by calling the school in advance.