Auditions for Cathedral Catholic’s production of Godspell started Tuesday, August 20, as students of all grade levels prepared a monologue and song for a chance to be part of CCHS’s award-winning drama department.
This unique Broadway show focuses on a group of people following the works of Jesus Christ. The drama department is prepared to transform the play into modern times with its rendition of the well-known story. With a cast of fewer than twenty, more than sixty hopeful students are ready to compete for their desired roles.
According to sources in both basic and advanced drama classes, the drama department is putting its own contemporary spin on the show by setting it in a high school detention room instead of setting it in a circus or in the 1970’s. The lead actors will each represent a student from the stereotypical groups found on a high school campus. In this detention, the audience will discover the jock, the cheerleader, the emo/hipster girl, the bad boy and girl, the teacher’s pet, the overachiever, and, of course, the heartthrob.
“And how does Jesus fit into all this? Well, you will have to come to the show and find out,” said Ms. Wilson, drama teacher and director at CCHS.
Ms. Wilson is looking for students who are willing to take on different characters and be creative in helping her develop the production. She hopes to find a cast that will work together and create the characters together.
“This show is reinvented every time a cast brings it to life,” Wilson said. “The students selected will work as a team to create the show based off their imaginations.”
After already directing and seeing the show multiple times, once with Cathedral Catholic’s advanced drama class in 2010 and again with her company outside of school (Rising Star Theatricals), Ms. Wilson recognizes when the show is done poorly, including those times when the performance fails because the characters do not work together. Every one of the leads wants to be in the spotlight, however, that cannot be the case with this show.
According to Ms. Wilson, the cast of Godspell needs to be able to work together to create one unique show where there is not just one lead actor but ten, plus an ensemble of six to ten more actors.
Ms. Wilson hopes that when people come to see the show on November 8, they will connect with one of the characters and see a piece of themselves on the stage. She predicts the audience will see who they are, were, or “wanted to be” in high school.
“The audience will hopefully recognize the obstacles as relatable and be able to take something very special away from this musical,” Ms. Wilson said.
Although Godspell may seem like all fun and games, the selection of a cast is serious business for many. As of now, sixty-two hopeful students are signed up to audition; however, more than half will end up being cut. It’s a harsh process, but the students are in it for the long run.
According to Senior Jason Shutt, “The best thing to do when you are auditioning is to find something that you are comfortable with and go in there and do your best. There is nothing more Ms. Wilson could ask of you.”
Shutt resembles all aspiring CCHS students who are unsure about the outcome of their auditions but remain hopeful for positive results. Auditions will continue through the end of the week and into next Tuesday. Students can still sign up through the link on Miss Wilson’s bulletin board.
For now, Shutt must wait.
