Drama Club Presents 'Night of Comedy'

The St. Joseph's Academy/Catholic High School Drama Club presented A Night of Comedy, eight comedic scenes performed, produced and directed by students. The production was staged November 19 in the Activity Center.
 
"...the actors pulled together and gave it their all." Emily Morgan '09

Ashleigh Dowden, SJA drama instructor and theatrical production director, said she was amazed by the level of maturity and professionalism exhibited by the Drama Club members. "This was a student-directed production, and I was impressed by the leadership and creativity of my directors," she said. "My actors readily accepted direction from their peers, and the backstage technical crew worked tirelessly to make their classmates look their best. Watching your students learn to thrive and grow on their own is a humbling and satisfying experience."

Senior Emily Morgan, co-president of the Drama Club, directed two scenes: Who's on First by Bud Abbot and Lou Costello and The Audition of Guilty in a Court of Love by Jeff Goode. "I feel so incredibly proud of both my scenes," Morgan said. "My actors really rose to the occasion and gave spectacular performances. Of course, we had our rough patches, but in the end, the actors pulled together and gave it their all. They not only gave a spectacular performance but also seemed to have a whole lot of fun.

"I most enjoyed the Drama Club kicking off a fantastic year," Morgan added. "We've had many events prior to this, but this really set the scene and pace for the entire year. We had a job and a goal and got it done while having a whole lot of fun. I cannot wait to see what else the club will do this year and in years to come."

Senior Laura DeLatin was Mrs. Flannery in Thoroughly Modern Millie by Richard Morris. "I really enjoyed taking part in the fall drama production," she said. "We were able to take full control of the works. I truly enjoyed working with a small cast because we were able to connect more easily."

Junior Courtney Wolf directed The Chocolate Affair by Stephanie Alison Walker. "Not to toot my own horn, but my scene was incredible, the actors were amazing and I love the decisions we made as a cast," she said. "I enjoyed everyone's high energy, and the entire performance was just fabulous. We have never had a group that is so talented. Casting this production was almost impossible."

Junior Aubrey Allison portrayed Beverly in Wolf's scene. "As always, Drama Club is such an outlet for me, and everything we do in Drama Club is a wonderful learning experience," she said. "Plus, it is so much fun. It's so lovely to see all the hard work everyone involved put forth come together and create a performance."

Senior Kelsey Balzli was Liza Doolittle in Pygmalion by George Bernard Show. It was directed by sophomore Camille DeMars. "Once again, the Drama Club family has pulled off another performance," Balzli said. "I really had a blast getting into my character. What I liked about performing in this show was just spending time with every student involved and seeing this collaborative art come together smoothly. I also loved the enthusiasm felt throughout the evening, as well as the excitement on the directors' and actors' faces as we performed scenes. This was truly a team effort, and I will really miss performing a fall show with the club next year."

Sophomore Caroline Hebert also performed in Pygmalion, cast as Mrs. Pearce. "The fall production was such a fun experience," she said. "I loved the scene because we all worked together so well and had so much fun. I'm sad it's all over."

Junior Jacqueline DeRobertis was the narrator for Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang. The scene was directed by Alex Kennon. "The experience was amazing," DeRobertis said. "The energy and atmosphere of the cast and crew combined was definitely the best part of the evening."


Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director

• The Audition, or Guilty in a Court of Love - Greer/Hurtado ( / East) - Duet Acting