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Students get set to perform "Deadly Ernest"
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Windsor High School students Dustin Lack, who plays Henry Gilcrest, and Emily Hall, who plays Gladys, rehearse a scene from “Deadly Ernest” Monday evening at the high school. The students will perform three shows to live audiences starting Thursday.
Jennifer Moore
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Jennifer Moore, (Bio) jmoore@mywindsornow.com
April 30, 2008
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By Jennifer Moore
jmoore@mywindsornow.com
Windsor High School students Laura Hazel (left), who plays Aunt Ethel, and Lyndsay Lack (right), who plays Margie, rehearse the opening act of “Deadly Ernest” Monday evening.
Jennifer Moore
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A group of talented students, on the stage, having a good time, under the direction of one of their own.
That's the situation at Windsor High School as a group of actors get ready to present "Deadly Ernest" 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the high school, 1100 Main St.
Senior Chelle Basley is calling the shots and giving the orders. This is the second year the theater department has given a student the chance to sit in the director's chair.
"I really like seeing everything come together. You have this idea in your head on how it's going to go and then you actually see it happen, and that's really cool," Basley said about being the director. "I love working with this cast because they are really fun people and really good at what they are doing."
The 14-member cast and 10 students who are behind stage have been auditioning and then rehearsing since the end of February, and the team is ready for opening night.
Basley sorted through many scripts and chose "Deadly Ernest," written by Donald Payton because she liked the small-sized cast.
"I loved the humor in it, it's a real funny play," she said. "The basic story line and how it's written just jumped out from all the other plays."
The story line follows Henry Gilcrest (played by sophomore Dustin Lack) who has just been thrown out of his house, dumped by his girlfriend and fired from his job, all in one day. He meets Mr. Bumpus (played by sophomore Nathan Tanner) one evening in the park, who said for some money he will get a guy named Ernest to kill him. All throughout the play Henry continues to meet people with Ernest in their name and is fearful of who might kill him.
Nathan, 15, said he chose to audition for Mr. Bumpus because it sounded like a fun part and he got to practice a Brooklyn accent.
"He's a bum and looking for a way to make an easy buck," Nathan said.
Basley hopes the community will take the time to come and watch the last performance of her high school career.
"It's a hilarious play, a fantastic group of actors and I really think people are going to enjoy themselves," she said.
Basley has been involved in drama since a young age and becoming involved with the theater department was one of the first activities she got involved in during her first year at the high school.
"I've been doing the plays, but during my sophomore year I got a job and it was a little harder to do them. So, I started getting into the back stage stuff," she said.
She was the assistant director for "Bowl In the China Shop" and "Anything Goes." She wanted to continue with the direction role and asked high school drama instructor Julie Estrada if she could direct the next performance.
"I love being behind the scenes and helping put stuff together," Basley said.
Directing her own peers was challenging at first, but Basley said everyone has worked well together to make it easier.
"Once you've established how it's going to be, it gets easier," she said.
Nathan said a student-directed play is more laid back than most.
"When Mrs. Estrada directs, it's more professionally. With Chelle, it's nice to have just another teenager there," he said.
Although Basley only sees drama as a hobby after high school, she hopes to take the leadership skills she has learned to the University of Wyoming, and apply it to her job as a nurse.
"Hopefully, I can still do drama on the side, but I will use some of the directorial skills into nursing," she said.
Breakout: "Deadly Ernest" Cast List
Henry Gilcrest - Dustin Lack
Aunt Ethel - Laura Hazel
Mr. Bumpus - Nathan Tanner
Pumpkin - Candace White
Gladys - Emily Hall
Margie - Lyndsay Lack
Sleepy - Zach Bray
Ernie - Shaun Parish
Aunt Stella - Kristan Wiggins
Clarissa - Natalia Maxwell
Ernestine - Jasmine Aas
Jill - Nur Syazwanny Kamaruzzaman (aka Wanny)
C.E. Grimm - David Jensen
Dr. Earnest - Nathan Smith
Director- Chelle Basley
Assistant Director - Megan Neeley
Stage Manager - Anna Moos
Tech Crew: Crystal Angevine, Dawn Christensen, Bryant Espinoza, Katalyn Lutkin, Jillian Reneau, Lindsay Savage and Ellen Stanley.
To Go
Windsor High School presents "Deadly Ernest" 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the high school, 1100 Main St. Tickets are $3.
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