As the summer turned into the fall in Goshen and students began their school routines again, the drama department at C.J. Hooker wasted no time in getting their fall production together.
Bottom Row: Brielle Pinnock, Evan Romulo, Nora LaBruna, Gabriella Azevedo, Celia Arteaga, Nora McAndrews, Liyah Polonio, Ryley Edwards, Caroline Vukasanovich
At C.J. Hooker’s drama club turned It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown into a reality in less than two months. For the drama club’s advisor, Katherine Loftus, the Peanuts classic was an easy choice.
“I’m just a huge Charlie Brown fan,” Loftus shared. “A lot of the time we do plays that don’t require costuming. We have very limited props. We have very limited set pieces. But the program is really growing, and so I thought, what could we do on a budget that doesn’t require a lot of sets, but you need those key pieces, and that’s going to be bright and fun?”
The fun began with teaching the students how to act like cartoons. “We talked a lot about how the characters move their faces, how they walk, dance, and the motions that they make,” Ms. Loftus said. “I think the kids were a little pushed out of their comfort zone. They did a great job and they loved it.”
The size of the set pieces that were built put the actors and actresses in the iconic cartoon on stage, and with the help of two Goshen High School students: Lexi Snyder and Amelia Thomas, the transitions between sets were smooth. “It’s so cool that the high school kids still care enough and want to be a part of it,” said Ms. Loftus.
On the night of the show, James Dodin and Celia Arteaga, or Charlie Brown and Linus, felt relief and pride in the production. “I felt this kind of wave of relief,” Arteaga explained. “This whole show that you’ve been planning for a good amount of time, just to be out there. You let it all out.”
“Everyone thought it was funny and I thought it was good. They were definitely impressed with what we did,” Dodin said.
The C.J. Hooker drama department wants to extend a special thanks to the teachers, parents and students that worked on the production for making the show possible, including:
Melissa Bailey – Spotlight
Kristy Leva – Producer
Christy Sorelle and Mitzi Robles – Costumes
Mike Calabrese – Set builder
Lexi Snyder and Amelia Thomas – Stage crew
Students and staff at CJ Hooker are turning their attention to Beetlejuice, a bigger production than their last. Auditions are completed and the show is set for March 7th and 8th.