In a bold leap into the mythical underworld, the Tiger Theatre Company (TTC) will construct the Sullivan Performing Arts Center into a place where love triumphs and walls get built. The cast and crew of Hadestown looks forward to inspiring audiences of all ages with the power of complex movement, intricate harmonies and a variety of acting techniques. With a prestigious crew of over 50 students, TTC’s adaptation of Anaïs Mitchell’s Tony Award-winning musical demonstrates that high school students can bring a professional level show to life through hard work and dedication.
From the first read through until the final dress rehearsal, the cast will work intently with one another to immerse themselves in the world of Hadestown. Dance captain Ethan Collinsworth works collaboratively with ensemble members to ensure clarity and purpose in their movement, ultimately allowing the story to flow more effectively.
“My most important responsibility [as dance captain] is to help the new people feel like they belong and have a place in this troupe,” Collinsworth said. “TTC is a tight knit family, and walking into that headfirst can make someone feel ostracized and unwelcome, so I want to make sure everyone feels like they have a place, no matter their grade or skill level as a performer.”
Beyond the complex movement that the show requires, students also work incredibly hard to master their vocal techniques, ensuring smooth harmonies and breathtaking riffs.
“Preparing for such a demanding show vocally has been a long process,” Collinsworth said. “We had four months to learn our parts, and we’ve repeatedly drilled our harmonies through the time we had.”
For some, the process extends far beyond the stage. Senior Ash Shuman will be taking on the role of Assistant Technical Director. Shuman feels honored to be taking on such an important position and embraces each challenge that comes with such power.
“[My position has] really inspired me to pursue this as a career,” Shuman said. “I’ve been getting to see all of the in’s and out’s, how to problem solve on the fly and how much work goes into a show that most people won’t know about.”
Although most of the performers in Hadestown prove to be incredibly seasoned, a few new performers will be taking the stage for the first time. Freshman Zoey Wilson will perform in the ensemble, and she plans to soak in every moment of her first experience with TTC.
“[The experience] has been pretty great overall,” Wilson said. “It’s an ensemble-heavy show, so memorizing all the dances and making sure every note is perfect is definitely a struggle.”
The lead male role of this production, Orpheus, will be played by junior Ian Letterman. Portraying such an emotionally complex character proves to be both a challenge and a learning opportunity for Letterman.
“Once Orpheus reaches Hadestown in the underworld, he comes to find out that Eurydice sold her soul to Hades, and Orpheus has a song about how corrupt and unfair the world is,” Letterman said. “I’d say this scene is the most emotionally challenging for me because of how intense it is. It’s hard to capture how a person would feel if they’ve lost the love of their life and then they are told there is nothing they can do about it.”
Senior Nevaeh Marshall, who will be portraying Letterman’s love interest Eurydice, works diligently at each rehearsal to ensure vocal power, genuine vulnerability and emotional depth.
“The most emotionally challenging moment for me to perform [in the production] is definitely Eurydice’s solo ‘Flowers’,” Marshall said. “It’s definitely her most vulnerable moment on stage and it’s only me on stage, just bearing my heart to the audience, which is really scary but such a special thing to be able to do.”
Marshall feels immense gratitude for the opportunity to play such an iconic role in the production, and places her admiration entirely on her directors for the continual growth they instill within her.
“[Our theatre directors] have done such an incredible job helping us grow into these characters and helping this show come to life,” Marshall said. “Mrs. Burns has constructed each costume by hand, ran all of the vocals for our show and choreographed each dance number, and we are all so grateful for her sacrifices and we all just want to make her proud. Mr. Hanna is truly talented and he has spent every waking hour building this set for us. Shoemaker has blocked the numbers in our show, and without the three of them, we wouldn’t be able to do this show.”
Publicity for the production reached new heights, marking an incredible leap forward from years past. In addition to the unique posters displayed around town by cast members and the strong social media presence, directors decided to implement the use of billboards that will be showcased at five different locations until the conclusion of the production.
“We genuinely freaked out when we found out we were getting a real billboard for our show,” Marshall said. “At first I thought we weren’t going to be able to because we just had so much to prepare for, and so when Shoemaker announced [that we would be able to have one], it was truly a highlight of the year.”
Hadestown will show on Nov. 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22 with showings at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $5 for students and $10 for adults and can be purchased at ttcths.booktix.com.
“From being beat up by Hades, hugging Eurydice or being told to stay on task by our stage manager, this cast is truly great, on and off stage,” Letterman said. “Mr. Hanna and his crew have also made an unbelievable set, and if I had to put in a word, I’d say they’re better than Broadway.”
