Southern Lehigh’s theater students eagerly opened a new school year with the comical fall play “Curtains.” The show conveys the story of an ex-mobster named Charlie Leach who owes money to his former mob boss, Tony Tenor. Charlie decided to use his honeymoon money to purchase a theater and destroy it to collect the insurance money to pay back Tony.
Junior Jenna Seasholtz, who portrays Monica Steele in the play, feels “Curtains” contains some surprising elements.
“It’s very different from last year’s play, and it’s a comedy,” Seasholtz said. “I feel like there are a bunch of surprises. It is also near Halloween and it’s kinda spooky. Not too much, but there’s a sense of mystery.”
To have the audience leave with a light-hearted feeling, the cast members worked hard to connect with their characters every day. They discovered relatable aspects of their characters, and dug deep to bring them to life.
Sophomore Patrick D’Amico, who played the lead role of Charlie Leach, had a lot of faith in the cast to create this story.
“The actors in it have made this so successful. Everyone has such a great role [that] even if they’re in for one scene, the way they play the character is so great,” D’Amico said. “We have a lot of potential with everyone, and the way it’s cast is very telling. It represents everyones acting skills.”
“Curtains” is a much different play from last year’s fall play “Mother Hicks,” which required the actors to accommodate a heavy topic and really focus on the acting. The impactful story left the audience feeling somber and deep in their thoughts.
“As a comedy, [“Curtains”] is a much lighter feeling,” D’Amico said. “With a comedy, you can have the audience laughing with you, and it’s just a better experience because they’re not just watching intensely.”
This fall Southern Lehigh welcomes a new theater director, Mrs. Lisa Foley. After previously directing for many years, Mrs. Foley is excited to work with all of the students who provide so much talent. She believes in the kids’ ability to really bring this play to life.
“The kids are perfectly cast, and their characters are really close to their fun personalities. You always want to put people in a role that makes them feel comfortable, and it’s not hard for them to do because they already have the mannerisms or the voice,” Mrs. Foley said. “You want a good fit and that’s always what you try to do, and I think we did that really well.”
“Curtains” ran from October 11-14th, and was well-received by audiences.
