The Theatre Department puts on two shows a year. In the fall, students had a chance to participate in the play Radium Girls. For the spring semester, Hatboro-Horsham decided on Moana Jr. as the spring musical.
Students are given the opportunity to both act in the shows and/or join stage crew and act behind the scenes. With many of the students in the department graduating this spring, Moana Jr. will be their last musical as a student in Hatboro-Horsham. With their first year at Hatboro-Horsham High School being lost to the pandemic, these seniors have helped bring back the theatre department after its setbacks due to restrictions in 2020. The theatre department has made a lasting impact on these students and their community, and their final show was a memorable one for them.
Senior Elliot Kahmar, who plays Moana in the show, said, “being lucky enough to get this part for my last show is so special, and I’m so extremely thankful. It definitely hits different this year. This theatre department has been such a huge part of my life and I’m sad to see it end.”
Many of these students have been in the Hatboro-Horsham theatre department for years. Senior Chase Fricka, who also plays Moana, said, “I first joined theater in seventh grade, but then I got back into theatre during tenth grade once COVID settled down. It’s such a safe and welcoming environment. Everyone is so nice, and you become friends with tons of people.“
While the theatre department is a great place to make new friends, for many of these seniors, it has also taught them a lot. Senior Amelia Derbyshire, who plays Maui’s arch-nemesis, Tamatoa, said, “I have learned so much, especially how to open up more and express myself through different characters. I have really enjoyed portraying Tamatoa.”
Elliot also said, “I think I’ve definitely learned so much about what it takes to put a show together, from all sides. There genuinely is no small part in a show. Everyone needs to put in work to make it come together!”
The actors aren’t the only ones that keep the show running. Behind the scenes, stage crew runs the whole thing. Senior Logan Fetterman, who has been in stage crew since the start of his sophomore year, works on flys and spotlights. When operating flys, Logan uses a system of ropes, pulleys and counterweights to fly scenery up the stage and out of the audience’s view. He also helps operate a powerful spotlight to control lighting on the stage during the play. When asked about how he feels about this being his last show, he said, “I’m a bit sad, but it’s a decently good play that we are putting on. My favorite part about Moana Jr. has been building the set pieces with my peers.”
To cap off their time in the theatre department, after the last show, seniors give speeches to the rest of the cast and crew to say a final goodbye to the department. These people have given much of their time and effort into putting on many amazing shows for Hatboro-Horsham and have made lasting memories through the theatre department.
Senior Cast in this year’s play include Elliot Kahmar, Chase Fricka, Stephen Stunder, Haley Adelman, McKenzie Maus, Jocelyn Kozen and Amelia Derbyshire. The crew consisted of Logan Fetterman, Sadie VanTassel, Elizabeth Conaway and Izzy Solofsky.
