OHS drama club presents Dr. Dolittle Friday & Saturday
Although the Onaway High School drama club has had its share of obstacles with its latest production, Dr. Doolittle, they have dedicated themselves to the motto: ?The Show Must Go On!?
More than 20 OACS middle school and high school students have been rehearsing since January in order to bring Dr. Dolittle to their community on Friday and Saturday, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.
?I CHOSE this play because it offered something the kids haven?t done in a while ? animals and a more child-friendly production,? said director Sarah Ross-Koves. ?People in the community should come see the play because it involves our children, it supports an art program in a school, which is a dying breed in Michigan due to cutbacks, and our show is one of the only performing art events available to people in our area ? it is also very funny.?
Because this is Ross-Koves? first year heading up the drama program at OHS, she and a select few volunteers have done all of the work that goes into a production ? from set design, to directing, to costumes.
?I?ve been doing all the set design and costumes on my own with the help of my husband (Steve Koves) and my mother (Colleen Ross),? said Ross-Koves. ?This is my first year with the program, and I haven?t yet built up a network of?help. I am hoping to get more parents, teachers, and community members involved in the coming years.?
Ross-Koves has a small crew for make-up, including Nicole Guinther, Chelsea Enos, and Kaelei Bacon. Logan Hyde and Neil Ostanowski take care of lights and sound. Dr. Doolittle is portrayed by Cameron Penny, while some of his closest animal ?friends? are played by Grant Malone (Jip the dog), Greg Ellenberger (Gub Gub the pig), Sarah Prall (Polynesia the parrot), and Nicole Hillis (Dab Dab the duck).
THE PRODUCTION of Dr. Doolittle almost didn?t happen do to several problems, but the students of the drama program pulled together and have been willing to work hard to make it happen. ?We?ve had our share of problems,? said Ross-Koves. ?We have a large cast?and I had to pull my whole stage crew into the cast in order to cover all of the parts. We had two kids drop out on us three weeks before the show. Tha
Chapman, who recently earned a role in state competition for wrestling, picked up two parts in the play that would have been impossible to split up among the remaining cast members.
This year, the drama program has done more advertising than usual, hoping to gain more interest from the community in its productions. It would be difficult to find another event that offers such great entertainment for such a low price. The price for entrance is $4, compared to the $10 that most other high school productions cost. Anyone 12 or under is admitted for free.
?We want to keep our prices low so everyone is able to attend and enjoy the performance of our students,? said Ross-Koves.