The theater students at Scotts Valley High School are bringing the drama again, this time with their winter production of “Deaths, Divas, and Dreams: A Night of 10-minute Musicals and Plays.”
The student-run show, directed by Sydney Clark and Ava Kreer, includes two 10-minute plays: “Abandoning Taylor” by Erica Joy Lloyd and “[PG]” by Nat Gruca, along with two 10-minute musicals: “Finding the Words” by Andy Roninson and Chris Critelli, and “Bittersweet Lullaby” by Will Lacker and Dylan Glatthorn.
The entire production is running for just one day and two performances: 5:30pm and 8pm at the Scotts Valley High School Student Union on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Freshman Kate Doherty, who plays the character Fanny in “Finding the Words,” enjoys the idea of having four separate shows contained in one performance.
“The comedies are entertaining and funny, while the dramas can be melancholy and thought provoking. In the Winter Show, you can experience so many different emotions and feel differently after each performance,” Doherty said. “Personally, I love the format of this show. Each show is only 10 minutes long, so if you don’t enjoy the characters or story of one performance, you only have to wait a few minutes before a new show with a different plot. The differences create a show for everyone, no matter what type of shows you prefer.”
The lead role of Taylor Brandon in “Abandoning Taylor” is played by junior Dani Dunn, who says the takeaway from her production is that life is short.
“If we hold on to events from the past and make them such a factor in our everyday lives, we will miss what is happening in the present. Embracing the moment is a very prevalent theme that emerges in ‘Abandoning Taylor,’ and it’s an important lesson that I hope audiences will understand from the show,” Dunn said.
Co-director Ava Kreer was eager to do a blended show to demonstrate the cast’s breadth and depth of talent.
“Since the Winter Play is the show’s complete student run, we wanted to cater to the wants of the Drama Club,” Kreer explained. “Every year students always ask to do a dramatic show, which is why we chose the show ‘Abandoning Taylor.’ We also looked at the collective group of people we had and saw the immense amount of acting and singing talents. This led us to decide on doing two musicals along with the two plays. We think that this culmination of shows will greatly display the talent that the people of the SVHS drama department has, and also bring light to the amazing actors and singers we have who may not always get a chance to show that talent in the regular plays and musicals.”
Clark agrees with Kreer regarding the production’s format.
“Ava and I were feeling particularly ambitious. While normally the Winter Play at SVHS is a one-act short play, we thought with my abilities as a vocal director and our combined work ethic, we could do a more challenging format that includes musicals. This also gives underclassmen more opportunities to be in musicals during their time at SVHS. Also, the Drama Club thought it would be fun and potentially draw a more diverse audience,” Clark said.
Overseen by SVHS theater maven Kendra Kannegaard, the multi-platformed performances are sure to have something for everyone, and the production is suitable for all ages.
“It’s really the support of the community that allows these talented kids to thrive. It means the world to them that people show up to support the shows, but it’s especially important for the Winter Play since it’s entirely student-run and is such a huge accomplishment for the students,” Kannegaard said.
Tickets for this one-night-only event are available at showtix4u.com/event-details/80836.
