Before the Last Petal Drops
The Backstage Process in our Theatre Company
Sara Findley and Sophie Gehorsam
Nearly every spring, Silver Creek’s theatre department has put on an outstanding musical. All of the actors involved have so much fun, and enjoy getting to step into someone else’s shoes for a while to bring joy to the wonderful community of Longmont. However, because of how many hours it takes for these musicals to be as amazing as they are, these wonderful actors and actresses barely escape the A Wing. This is truly a shame because the cast of the shows are some of the most colourful people to ever grace the halls of our school. In order for you, the reader, to get a better understanding of our theatre company, both on stage and behind the scenes, we here at “Creek Speak” went around and interviewed members of the cast and one of the directors for the spring musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
First, we asked our director, Les Dwier, for some of his thoughts on the production thus far. A very eccentric man, Dwier can be found frolicking about the A wing, dashing in and out of the choir room, music office, and auditorium, making people laugh with his unique sense of humor. Dwier has been working in theatre at Silver Creek for nine years, the first two directing the pit, and the most recent seven as the director to the fall plays and spring musicals. Last year, he co-directed Cabaret, the spring musical. During that show, he worked alongside Sam Pickett, who was a junior at the time.
When we asked Dwier what he wanted us to know about the show, he responded with, “This is a kid-friendly show, which was important to do after Cabaret… I wanted to do something much more accessible after doing a show as intense as Cabaret.” As intense as Cabaret was, the cast did a very good job of staying lighthearted. When we asked him what his favorite part of working with the current cast is, he laughed as he responded, “When they play around.” This show will reflect this wonderful man’s jolly nature and playful attitude.