***This feature story was written by Chase Palm, a participant in The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program. The program is funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
As the old saying goes, “the show must go on!” That has certainly been the mantra of Kewanee High School’s theater department, where the cast and crew are hard at work on the theater department’s 23rd musical under the direction of Heather Olalde.
“I am feeling very confident right now that this show has the potential to be our all-time best,” Olalde said. That’s a considerable goal, but the cast and crew are up for the challenge.
“I am very excited about the high quality of performance I’m seeing from the students involved as well as the amazing special effects and technological advancements,” and this could very well be the show that blows people away, said Olalde.
There is not only a great deal of history behind this musical but the whole KHS theater department. Much of the backstory connects to Olalde’s distinguished career at KHS.
“One of the reasons why I took the job here in Kewanee is because when I came for my interview with Mr. (Mike) Kirkham, he was really wanting to create an actual theater department,” Olalde said.
She had previous experience directing at Rock Falls High School and credited her passion for theater to this opportunity. The KHS theater program was nonexistent until Olalde built one from the ground up.
There are hidden tasks that go on behind the scenes and beyond the director’s chair before opening night. Prepping audition material, making the right casting decisions, and choosing effective music are just a few of the jobs that have to be filled to make a production succeed.
“I always start with my students in mind, first of all who I have, who I want to see grow in what ways, what skills do they already bring to the table, but what do they need to work on to grow as performers,” Olalde said.
Growth is one of Olalde’s main considerations when casting. She wants students to grow not only as performers, but as people too.
Olalde also mentioned how she selects a musical based on current student culture. “What kind of show are we in need of right now? What message do we want to send?” Olalde said.
“I think casting the show is the most important part of the process. I put a lot of time and energy and thought into getting it right because if you get the right people in the right spots, then the rest is a whole lot easier. When you put one wrong person in the wrong spot then it causes a lot of problems for everybody because it’s such a collaborative experience,” she said.
When it comes to music, Olalde has help along the way. KHS Choir Director Katie Yelm, now in her third year at KCUD #229, works tirelessly to make sure cast members learn music and sing with appropriate diction and tone.
“I have to figure out how to bridge the gap between my master’s degree in music, where I can read all the things; the kids in high school who are with me in choir and band who can read some of the things, and the kids who are just reading the words and memorizing everything,” said Yelm.
Learning how to read music is like learning a foreign language, so Yelm has to ensure that non-music people can follow along.
Cast size also contributes to how fast music can be learned. “The fewer people in a show, the easier it is to physically show them what you’re talking about,” Yelm said.
With so many aspects to consider, running a production can be quite stressful.
“I think directing a musical is incredibly difficult in general because there are so many moving parts and pieces to keep in mind,” Olalde said. “Ms. Yelm and I have discussed often with this show how much we are taken by surprise on a daily basis on how difficult this show is.”
Thankfully, these stressors haven’t kept Olalde or any of her 38 cast and 21 crew members from bringing their best to the stage everyday.
To witness their hard work pay off, catch “SpongeBob the Musical” at KHS on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. or Sunday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. in Peterson Auditorium. There is also a possibility of the cast and crew performing a show on Friday, Jan. 12, although this show date has not yet been confirmed.
