The OHS fall play Flappers and Fools, directed by drama teacher Jan Engelhardt, is an energy-filled musical set in the 1920’s right off the coast of Calif. on Santa Catalina Island.

Local playwright, Rick Newswanger, wrote the musical specifically for the high school. Orono students are the first-ever to perform this musical.

“It is an incredible experience. A lot of us were very apprehensive about the thought of it [performing an original] at first because you don’t have any outside sources for inspiration like every other production,” junior Sarah Bezenar said.

Bezenar plays the role of a film star and diva named Gloria Blake, who is a guest at the Foxtrot Hotel managed by Hiram Debenham, who is played by sophomore Jason Briscoe.

Newswanger has been a part of the Orono community for many years.  His son, Paul Newswanger, is a senior this year and has a huge part in the play as one of the main characters, Benedict Brown, who is Gloria Blake’s production assistant.

Other main characters are Beth Jensen played by Eleanor Fossen, Nora Price played by Brianna Harstad, Claude Smith played by Ben Baker, and Helen Debenham played by Berit Iverson.

Featuring a number of songs, the audience will be amazed by the singing and dancing that tells a chaotic story with romance, heartbreak, and drama.

“I enjoyed the second act of the play very much because that is where all the chaos happens,” Bezenar said.  “Gloria, my character, may have had a little too much to drink.”

The cast has put in many hours building sets, perfecting their scripts, and practicing their best acting skills.  Leads have to be at rehearsal Mon., Wed., and Fri. from 2:45pm to 5:00pm.  On Tues. and Thurs., all cast members must attend rehearsal from 6:30pm to 9:00pm.  The cast also donates every Sat. to rehearse for several hours.

“One thing most students don’t know is [that] we build our entire set from scratch with help from a couple volunteer parents,” Bezenar said.  Not only does the cast need to work on perfecting the acting portion, but they need to work on building a set to make an awesome production.

Spending so much time together, the crew has become really close and has built personal relationships with each other and with their director. “I see a lot of them more than I see my own family.  I think I speak for everyone in the cast when I say that the experience wouldn’t be nearly as much fun if you didn’t have such a great relationship between members,” Bezenar said.

For more information on showtimes and tickets, visit the Orono Schools website www.orono.k12.mn.us.

Nicole Quast is the Sports Editor for The Spartan Speaks