Billionaire J. Leslie Arlington’s been murdered, and the New Prairie High School (NPHS) Theatre Company is on the case! On April 21st, the troupe’s spring production of “The Alibis” began, and half of the audience was on the edge of their seats while the other half were laughing on the floor at the hilarious 10-minute plays.
The production comes as the culmination to everything the troupe worked on throughout this school year. Backstage, the performers were buzzing with anticipation ahead of the show’s premiere. Student Director Trinity Sabie was confident that the performance would be exceptional.
“We’ve put so much time and effort into making the show what it is. Learning the cues, what needs to be where; everyone that’s part of the show cares about it,” said Sabie.
English Teacher and Theatre Sponsor Kortney Brennan were proud to see how the student actors have grown as performers since the beginning of the year. It was hard not to shed a tear as the spring production opened.
“I feel really lucky because a lot of these kids do have experience, and watching from their freshman year all the way up to their senior year is what’s really exciting to see,” said Brennan.
“The Alibis” was chosen by Sabie because of its clever writing and a large cast of characters. The mixture of comedy and suspense, short scenes, and a multitude of characters offered the NPHS Theatre Company an opportunity to flex the skills developed from previous productions. On the performance side, leads like Liliana Henning, Danielle Makombe, and Breonna Burns were eager to show their acting chops.
“I look forward to getting together, doing these funny scenes, and making everybody laugh,” said Burns.
Working on the stage as an actor isn’t the only way students got involved in “The Alibis.” The production would have been impossible without the hard work of the crew. From putting together sets to wardrobes, the crew tackled obstacles that would have otherwise seen the show as dead as the murdered Arlington.
“I think it’s really cool that the whole show is done entirely by the kids. The kids do the lighting, the sound, and the acting and I had kids do the costumes as well. It’s exciting to see that these kids have this talent and they’re so open to sharing it with the world.” said Brennan.
Tonight’s show was just the beginning. NPHS has a second showing of “The Alibis” scheduled for tomorrow at 6 p.m., and a third and final showing on Sunday at 2 p.m. You’re not going to want to miss this show full of wacky crimes and even wackier personas.
Tickets can be purchased at the door, which opens half an hour before the show begins.
To keep up with everything happening at New Prairie High School, check out npusc.k12.in.us.