Poster by Sydney Wallace
Prepare to enter a “One Stoplight Town.”
Coupeville High School’s newest theatrical production, set to debut May 8-10 in the school’s Performing Arts Center, features the work of a large cast and crew.
When theatergoers arrive, they’ll find a thicker program than normal, said CHS drama teacher and play director Stefanie Ask.
“Our ‘bio page’ morphed into quite the tome this year in order to include all 49 students involved in this production,” she said. “Yes, you read that right.
“FORTY-NINE CHS students are involved in this show, each bringing their own talent and contributions to the stage, whether that be through acting, epic set design and painting, tinkering with props, preparing costumes, running lights/sound, or manning a stoplight.”
The tale they’ll tell, written by playwright Tracy Wells, focuses on the sort of town “so small you might drive through it without really taking a second look.
“But if you stopped for just a moment, you might see a young boy and girl fall in love, a cantankerous grocery store owner coping with change, a daughter returning home while another thinks of leaving, a beauty queen and drum major striking up a friendship, and a handywoman taking it all in while she fixes what is broken.
“These stories teach us that change comes for us all, whether we are ready for it or not.”
In between classes, Stefanie Ask pours over scripts, looking for ones which will offer her students “a different experience each time they take the stage, to ride the varied emotions of an audience and feel how the experience differs from show to show and genre to genre.”
Coming on the heels of diverse works such as Trap, She Kills Monsters, and Puffs!, the latest play offers a chance to pay tribute to real-world one stoplight towns such as Coupeville.
“In moments of great change and turmoil, sometimes the best thing you can do is look around and take comfort in your people, in your place,” Ask said.
“One Stoplight Town is about a small town, the quirks and conflicts of sharing a life with a little community, and ultimately it’s just nice.
“It feels like taking a moment to honor our little strip of the island with the pride it deserves.”
The cast:
Trish – Pamela Morrell
Barb – Elizabeth Lo
Sally – Sydney Wallace
Jim – Phineas Rhodes
Charlie – Sam Marchese
Morgan – Riverwind Dearmond
Casey – Chloe Ferguson
Emma – Dahlia Miller
Runaway – Brooke Crosby
Prodigal Daughter – Kassidy Upchurch
Police Officer – Mason Butler
Toby – Cedar Socha
Flash – Marz Halstead
MusselFest Queen – Alysia Burdge
Drum Major – Grey Bialik
Kids/Teens – Miles Gerber, Eliza Dodge, Tommy Smith, Lina Shelly, Zoe Holm
Protesters – Will Tierney, Sunny Swankie, Nick Kalwies, Connor Booth, Kaiden Burrow, Garrett Bevill, Dorian Tynda, Valen M., Rowan Stoner
The crew:
Director – Stefanie Ask
Stage Manager – Danni DeMers
Assistant Director – Zoe Holm
Assistant Stage Manager – Ren Smith
Light Technicians – Zeke Allen, Oktober Frost
Sound Technicians – Hailee Wells, Aubrey Rodriguez
Costume Designers – Molly Ferguson, Luci Humphries, Nick Kalwies, Hayden Kendall, Sophia Siverly, Cedar Socha, Sunny Swankie, Dorian Tynda
Set Design Team – Richmond Bandong, Taylor Brotemarkle, Mason Butler, Jennifer Camarena-Herrera, Ember Light, Valen M., Jacob Schooley, Rowan Stoner, Will Tierney
Prop Team – Ryan Beaston, Garrett Bevill, Soal Hibbard, Walker Kirkconnell, Will Tierney, Doc Wertz
Stage Ninja – Kaiden Burrow
Stoplight – Jorja Auen
Poster by Rowan Stoner
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