“Footloose,” played its second showing Friday night March 14 at 7:00 p.m. Thirty minutes until showtime, the mood backstage was somber and emotional. This would be the final high school production for most of the senior cast members and technical students, a lot of which would be going on to college to further pursue theater. Every student involved with the show gathered a few minutes before 7:00 p.m. and listened to the seniors give small speeches about their time in high school and what theater meant to them. Some laughed and some broke into tears, but as everybody finished up and took their places, the excitement still lingered in most.
Back in the auditorium, the energy was high. Friday had been an almost sold-out show, and as the audience took their seats, they seemed eager to see how the classic, neon-lit, rock-filled eighties musical would turn out.
The story of “Footloose” follows the main character Ren (junior Matthew Squeri) as he moves into a rural country town after a life growing up in Chicago. To his surprise, the town’s religious local government has put a ban on dancing. Throughout the musical, filled with famous original sing-alongs like “Holding Out for a Hero,” Ren fights against the law—persuading the reverend, finding love interests and fighting aggressive boyfriends along the way.
Every night, as the show reached its end, “Footloose’s” explosive finale left audiences looking shocked as they cheered through the last number. The orchestra was rolled onstage on platforms, the law against dancing had finally been lifted and the once-opposed reverend finally started to dance as confetti showered into the crowd.
The next day on the closing night, director Mr. Clay Cartland took a moment after the show to bring all of the seniors—both on the cast and those behind the scenes—onstage, thanking them for their final performance as he handed each of them a bouquet of flowers. Mr. Cartland said a few words about the time that students had put into the show, thanked the audience for coming and watched parents pour in front of the stage to congratulate all their student actors.
“Footloose” was performed Thursday, March 13, Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15.
A student actor and her mother hug each other after the show. Every night in the hallway of the Fine Arts building, the cast would receive compliments and applause as they walked down the stairs into an awaiting crowd. (Photo/Madeline Zhuravel)
