Huntington High School drama club members were exceptionally pleased with how the recent production of Mary Chase’s “Harvey” unfolded and the audience’s reaction to the show.
Weeks of auditions and rehearsals paid a windfall of dividends as the three shows over Friday and Saturday all earned rave reviews. The actors and stagehands themselves felt the production went quite well and they left the high school auditorium late Saturday night walking on “Cloud Nine.”
The play’s cast included (in order of appearance) Sarah Biernacki, Abby Semelsberger, Keenan Lyons, Aria Hannah, Katherine Eichenberger, Natalie Ciccone, Brenden Garcia, Josh Avidor, Robert Jean-Gilles, Charlotte Simon, Ryan Aguirre, Dylan Brinn and Cobin Black.
“This year’s drama, ‘Harvey,’ was such a fun show,” Mr. Jean-Gilles said. “I have nothing but positive things to say about it. At rehearsals, we were all enjoying each other’s company and I felt that translated to the actual performances. I feel so lucky to have been a part of this show and I can’t wait for what's to come.”
Longtime Huntington drama club faculty advisor Michael Schwendemann was the play’s director. Maggie Imperato and Gabe Moscovitch were the student director and Glenn Deveau was the technical director. Carrie Semelsberger took care of costumes and set dressings. Ellen Fleury created the highly regarded playbill.
“I’m incredibly proud of the cast and crew for putting together a phenomenal show,” Mr. Lyons said. “From the wonderful moments on stage to the behind the scenes work, all the hard work really paid off. A special thanks to Mr. Schwendemann and everyone else who chipped in. It couldn’t have been possible without you.”
The production’s stage crew featured Jeslyn Alfaro, Maria Andrade, Adrian Angueira, David Chavez, Jasmynn Clark, Kyla Crowder, Rory Dara, Declan Duffy, Christian Fazin, Annika Galvin, Emily Gershuny, David Canas Granados, Beth Heffernan, Noelle Henderson, Christina Hornstein, Carrie Kilgour, Cianna Leigh, Aileen Lopez, Keyla Maldonado, David Marroquin, Sam Mollineaux, Rahalia Patterson, Olivia Perez, Chloe Rivera, Sol Rodriquez, Ben Root, Drew Spina, Joe Tropeano, Nathali Ulloa and Emma Waters.
“I feel that all three performances of ‘Harvey’ went very well,” Ms. Eichenberger said. “Each one was better than the last. Every audience was different and we were able to adjust. I am very proud of the entire cast and crew for putting on this amazing show. I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.”
Audiences took delight in attending shows on Friday night and again on Saturday afternoon and evening. There was excitement in the auditorium during all three performances.
“I could not be prouder of the job done by everyone involved,” Mr. Schwendemann said. “From the kids on stage to the kids backstage to the kids up in the booth; they all did a fantastic job! They hit their marks and got their laughs. Not only did they have a good time, but the audience did as well. The response from the audience was terrific. I was told after each show how charming the play was and how it was wonderful to see all the students’ hard work result in a heartwarming and at times hilarious show! What a great weekend!
The actors really gave it their all to put on the best show possible. The stage crew set new standards with its work, enhancing the entire production from curtain to curtain.
“I knew that the audience would find the show funny because we had so much fun rehearsing,” Ms. Biernacki said. “Delivering such a heartfelt message through a comedic piece with ‘Harvey’ was satisfying in so many ways. It has me looking forward to the spring musical season.”
When the final bows were completed everyone was thoroughly exhausted. The final week of rehearsals was grueling and the three shows tested everyone’s nerves. But all agreed that it was a lot of fun.
“I can honestly tell you that after six shows, ‘Harvey’ was one of my favorite productions during my time at Huntington High School,” Ms. Ciccone said. “The cast and crew worked so well together and everyone had such a great time.”
The actors and stagehands are pretty tough on themselves. They demand a first rate effort for every show and that is exactly what they produced during “Harvey’s” run.
