Richmondites will be able to witness some of the city’s best, young theatre stars in the making as Theatre McNair puts on a made-in-Richmond adaptation of the musical Sleepy Hollow, during Education Week.
“It is a very complicated musical and it’s amazing how well the kids have taken to it. The kids have lived up to the high bar that was set for them and it’s been phenomenal,” said theatre teacher Marco Soriano.
Indeed, the bar has been set high. With a cast of 25 student actors, not to mention another four students playing music and 25 producing the sound and lighting necessary for the Washington Irving classic, Soriano estimates the combined volunteer hours is in the thousands.
‘These kids are doing it on their own time. They rehearse three hours a day, after school,” noted Soriano.
This adaptation was written and composed by McNair alumnus Joelysa Pankanea and directed by Soriano. Teacher Theresa Watts directed the technical side of the play, while music teacher Jan Berman lent some of her students to set the mood for the play just right.
Soriano said the school’s theatre program is thriving, unlike many other schools in the region.
“We have an amazing theatre program at McNair. The students are used to putting on big shows, however, their dedication to this one has been phenomenal,” he said.
Indeed, the singing is confident, the acting is persuasive and the music is emotive.
When main protagonist Ichabod Crane, the new schoolteacher (played by student Max Blanche), comes to the seemingly peaceful town of Sleepy Hollow, he never imagines he will find possible romance, a history of disappearances and tales of a headless horseman, not to mention witchcraft.
Grade 12 actress Avery Taylor plays the two-sided character of Jeanette, a rival to Crane’s love interest, Katrina.
Avery said her character is a witch, who acts nice but is, in fact, devious.
“She’s kind of like an anti-hero,” said Avery.
“It’s an amazing experience. The rehearsals are every day so you have to be committed. It’s a lot of fun but we have to work hard,” said Avery, who is now marking her third production at Theatre McNair.
Soriano said this adaptation rings more true to the original Sleepy Hollow, which has been adapted several times over and is presently a TV show on Fox. More famously, Johnny Depp starred in Tim Burton’s big screen adaptation in 1999.
“Our opening image is of the Major Andre confronting the horsemen, although you never see them, so it gets the audience involved right away,” said Soriano.
All-in-all over 80 students auditioned for the production, said Soriano.
Soriano said all the sets props and costumes are built and managed by students of the Stage Craft program and the production is made possible through countless hours of volunteer support. All proceeds from the production of the show will be rolled back into the McNair theatre program where they will fund the purchase of new equipment, allow budgets for future productions and also fund several scholarships to graduating students.
McNair’s Sleepy Hollow runs nightly from March 4-10 at McNair secondary at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are may be available by calling 604-668-6575.
- EdCom is produced by the Richmond School District and published by the Richmond News.
