M-R drama students present 'The Hollow'

Cast weighted toward female performers

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Stephen Geinosky

GateHouse News Service

Dressed in 1950s attire, M-R High students will give their own touch to a lesser-known Agatha Christie murder-mystery, "The Hollow."

"It's taken a lot of work and a lot of Saturday mornings," said Melissa Agar, director and English teacher. "I think the kids are really excited about it."

There were bumps in the road during rehearsals, though.

Many of the performers also are in chorus and have been practicing for the Olympic Chorus Festival in Farmington last Tuesday.

"It's the kind of thing you have to roll with the punches," said Agar.

The play takes place in a house where Dr. John Cristow is murdered and everyone becomes a suspect.

Agar said she found the play while searching on Samuel French Inc.'s Web site. She said she chose the play because of the plot and number of students who tried out. Because more girls tried out than boys, she ended up picking a play that was written for six males and six females. However, the character Sgt. Penny, played by Sarah Farmer, was switched to a female roll because Agar felt it was written for both sexes.

There are no set changes during the play, which made Agar happy. However, she said the students came in every Saturday morning since the beginning of October to work on the set, missing only one weekend. Overall, she said the students put in about 15 hours of work to build and paint the walls, the double doors and paint the fireplace. Last week they were still working on the finishing touches, though, reinforcing the doors so they can stand up to someone slamming them and adding aesthetics, such as finishing up the trim and putting pictures on the wall. The flats, or parts of the floor, and the fireplace were already built.

Monmouth College also played a role in the set construction, Agar said.

"Monmouth College loaned about 90 percent of the set," said Agar. "We're really fortunate to have the college so close."

Students and Agar also added their own personal touches to the set, with one student bringing in a footstool and Agar using her own small table to hold empty bottles.

Senior Daniel Schofield, who plays Dr. John Cristow, spoke with Agar during a rehearsal about adding his own personal touch to the play, by incorporating a handkerchief.

"I know I'm going to be sick during the play," said Schofield. "I think (the handkerchief) adds to it."

One part of the play that will not make its way onto the stage is cigarettes. Because they are considered a fire and health hazard, students will simply do without them.

"With smoking, the ways to fake it look really fake," said Agar.

The high school also borrowed almost all of the costumes used in "The Hollow" from the college, with the rest coming from The Prairie Players and the Salvation Army.

But with the rehearsals coming to a close, performers are getting more and more excited.

"I'm looking forward to production," said sophomore Elizabeth Meyers, who plays Veronica Craye, "and getting to wear my dresses."

The cast features Hassan Masood (Sir Henry), Alexandria Brush (Henrietta Angkatell), Shai Gonzales (Lady Lucy), Ellen Blindt (Midge Harvey), Peter Byrne (Gudgeon), Jesse Padgett (Edward Angkatell), Kayla Kane (Doris), Daniel Schofield (Dr. John Cristow), Jessica Havelock (Gerda Cristow), Elizabeth Myers (Veronica Craye), Matthew Newman (Inspector Colquhoun), and Sarah Farmer (Sergeant Penny). The Assistant Director is Melissa O'Neal and Stage Managers are Dezirae Howard and Megan Lyle.

Playbill

What: "The Hollow"

When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9-10

Where: Monmouth-Roseville High School auditorium