Opening acts included comic video shorts caricaturing the Crocodile Hunter, Chuck Norris, and the Ninjas.
Highlights from the videos included Aaron Thibault playing both Erwin and Norris. Thibault is a flexible young actor whose stage presence and multiple identities allow him to slide into a variety of roles and through them all remain in character.
The Ninja short film starred Kayla Tidd, Shelby Crocker and Hayley Crocker, young women who stunned the audience with their daring approach to their characters. Their surprising antics left one audience member gasping, “They nearly gave me a heart attack.”
Appearing as friends of Drama 11 were Morgan Geauvreau, Gabriel Kaehler, and Martin Morrison. Geauvreau, accompanied by guitarist Evan Melanson-Smith, gave a soft and dreamy rendition of the song ‘Landslide’. Melanson-Smith, always the considerate presence on stage, skillfully underscored his musical partner’s lyrical voice.
Not long after, the audience found itself drifting into the battle of the evening when Kaehler and Morrison picked up their sticks, sat down, and began to conjure one of the most frenetic and skillful drum performances ever presented on this stage.
With the bluesy encouragement of Melanson-Smith’s electric interventions, both drummers found their groove and led the audience through highly charged theatrics eventually drifting the audience into the darkness of the theatre and the night well primed for ‘Dr. Faustus and the Seven Deadly Sins’.
After a parade of the cast and the seven deadly sins, all introduced by Kayla Tidd in the role of the good angel, and Shelby Crocker in the role of the bad angel, dark went the night and Dr. Faustus (Justin Amero), elevated by sin agonized into the house, “Me, just me!”
Mephistopheles, the devil’s creepy messenger, who was portrayed by Nicholas Wetmore, ushered each of the sins on to the stage. Faustus then moved through the last hour of his life facing the corporal forms of his life’s sins.
Pride (Justin Carty) strutted his confidence. Envy (Jenna Cromwell) and Greed (Holly Griffiths) entered torturing poor Faustus. Anger (Wesley Bremner), Sloth (Aaron Thibault), and Gluttony (Evan Melanson-Smith) followed on leaving Faustus even more confused and exhausted as he lay resting on the little park bench.
Awakened from his deep sleep, Faustus finds himself easily seduced by the sins of the flesh, as lechery (Hayley Crocker) worked her magic.
The night had grown dim indeed as the Devil (Jessie Jelfs) entered to remind Faustus of his contract with the underworld. A bargain is a bargain, and life’s enduring pleasures, underscored by the eerie gong-master (Gabriel Kaehler) in the end catch up with Faustus, leading him again back to the modern world wherein the mantra “Me, just me!” leaves the audience with a moment to reflect on how we all lead our lives.
‘On Stage with Drama Eleven’ was one of those rare times when Digby youth display their extraordinary skill and talent to the community. The audience of about one hundred, mostly students and family members, was extremely receptive to the show and their financial contributions will help send DRHS students to the provincial drama festival later in the month.
Tony Kelly is senior high drama teacher at DRHS
Digby’s drama students display talents
Digby’s drama students display talents
By Tony Kelly Digby was presented with an evening of fine entertainment in the DRHS theatre April 17 when the Drama 11 class and friends brought together an evening of low comedy to thought provoking tragedy.
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