November 30, 2017 - The Department of Theatre at Center High School invites you to an original production, Where Secrets Lie, featuring all 40 of the department’s advanced students on Thursday, November 30 and Friday, December 1 at 6:30 pm. The show is comprised of several scenes, some by Chris Watlington, some by students, and some from professional playwrights, but all the seemingly unconnected characters are brought together in the end. It also features two musical production numbers, the music and lyrics original as well.
“It is a labor of love,” CHS theatre teacher Chris Watlington said. “We’ve done a lot of these scenes for years as class projects, some of which have audiences and some haven’t. When we were deciding on our fall production this year, we had such a large department of second, third, and fourth year students, I couldn’t find a script that would give significant roles to all of the actors who needed them. So we added a few scenes and some dramatic connective tissue and tied it all together. Where Secrets Lie is the result. It’s our baby and despite the labor pains, we’re looking forward to sharing it with an audience."
A cast this large creates a lot of energy and excitement within the production. The cast and crew have high expectations but not a lot of information to base those expectations on.
“There are actors from three different classes that meet three different periods,” senior student and lead performer Alysen Jefferson said. “The show is just a few days away and there are still scenes I haven’t seen yet. But the ones I have seen are good, and some of them—like a few of the ones I’m in—are so much better now than they were just a few days ago. So I’m excited to see how it all comes together!”
With Where Secrets Lie, the department wanted to make a departure from the light comic mood of so many of its shows. To do that, they selected scenes with a variety of moods and tones and are also experimenting with different staging.
“We are pulling out all the stops for this one,” senior student and lead performer Peyton Proffitt said. “Now don’t get me wrong – some of the scenes are funny. Real funny. But some of them are dark. Some make you mad and some make you think. That’s a good thing. And Mr. Watlington is always talking about how difficult it is to perform in our cafeteria with its glass walls and bad acoustics and the constant distractions that come with the room. We think we’ve come up with an intimate audience arrangement that will bring the people close to the action and keep them in the moment with us.”
Parents need to know that Where Secrets Lie is designed for audiences in middle school and older and would be good for families to watch together. However, audience members younger than twelve might not understand some of the topics in the scenes.
“The scenes deal with a lot of real stuff that young people actually deal with,” senior performer Brendan Stanley said. “Some of it is fun and funny, but so is life. Then some of the scenes deal with disappointment, heartbreak, teen pregnancy, dysfunctional families, good friendship, fake friendship, the whole teen world.”
Watlington is excited about the live music for this show.
“Most high school musicals are performed to karaoke tracks,” he said. “Well, this is not a full musical – we only have two production numbers and three songs – but those songs are performed with live music. And between each scene, live music will be played to set the tone.”
The CHS Culinary department is providing popcorn and drinks before the show and intermission. And in an effort to create a more intimate experience for the audience, only 100 seats are available for each show.
“Most shows have a ‘run,’” Watlington said. “You don’t do a show once then put it to bed. So with two performances, the students get to feel a little of what a production run is like, the audience can select the date that best fits their schedules, and we can limit the size of the audience so that our back row is not very far from the stage. In our auditorium, that is important.”
Cost for the show is $5 for adults and $3 for students. If it were a movie, it would have a PG rating for teen/adult situations and mild language. The cast and crew hope you will come and spend a little time with them so that you might find Where Secrets Lie.
