The Ward Melville High School musical theatre class, under the direction of Daniel Hayes and Brianna Gobetz, brought audiences to the southwestern town of Bomont on May 17 and 18.

The story follows a senior in high school, Ren McCormack, as he navigates a move from the bustling city of Chicago to a small town. Even though Bomont may be small in numbers, this town does not come without its complexities.

After losing four young teenagers to a car accident on the Potawney Bridge four years ago, including his son, town leader Reverend Moore bans dancing with the hopes of eliminating the unvirtuous behaviors, like drinking and drug use, that he believes accompany it. However, this dancing ban symbolically entraps the town in an era of grief.

Headed by a student creative team, Ward Melville students explored all aspects of theatre including, live performance, set, lighting, costume, and playbill design, production, props, choreography and even finance.

Using the skills they learned in the first half of the year including various acting techniques and practice with script analysis, students embarked on a journey of empathy through performance. They hoped to share the message that it is important to ponder and reconcile with the past, while always keeping your focus on moving forward. As Ren says, “I can’t stand still.”

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Date Added: 5/31/2024