On the weekend of Halloween there was something extra spooky occurring at Sunlake High School. It was our Theatre Programs atmospheric rendition of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” which follows Princess Rosalind as she runs away from her evil Uncle to her banished father to a forest. It included disguises, love, and restoration as the characters make their dramatic journey through their lives.
The person who played the benevolent ruler was Junior Grayson Nance. He has been in school theatre productions since middle school and continues his passion through high school so far. He explained, “I played Duke Senior, he was the father of Rosalind, Uncle of Celia, and brother to Duke Frederick.” … “He is accompanied by his loyal men and is first seen in Act 2 Scene 1. He tries to make the best of his situation in the forest and is a humble man. In the last scene, he reunites with his daughter, and his brother gives him back the crown and the throne.” Duke Senior was the father figure and a moral compass in this play.
Despite Grayson’s experience in acting in plays, opening night was still an anxious time. He said, “Opening night was very nerve racking as it was my first time having a speaking role within a school play. But with the help of my other cast mates and determination I was able to overcome those nerves, and I think we had a well performed opening night.” His community of friends helped him overcome any nervousness and perform to the best of his abilities. Opening nights for theatre performances tend to have a rise in anxiety so, getting past that can be difficult but after a unique piece of art is created. When responding to weather performing is easy for him, he said, “I think for my role it was easier for me to portray him as his emotions were very similar to my own.” It can be tough playing the part of a different person but with practice the characters are portrayed well.
When high school students spend extended time together for an after-school activity, it usually brings them closer and creates new friendships. A memory Grayson had was, “when we did a run through of the last scene (wedding scene) and I made a face on stage that made the stage manager start laughing. And we laughed at that for a good 5 minutes before we had to get it together and continue with our run through.” When commenting on the new relationships made from this experience he commented, “It was really fun getting to meet new people, make new friends, and reconnect with old friends I haven’t talked to much since last year’s Cinderella. I would say our cast was decently connected, everyone got along well, and we all just had a good time while getting the job done.” The chemistry of actors and actresses can impact how the play is viewed and it seems that this play had a very connected cast.
The next thing to look forward to is our Spring Musical. Grayson plans to try out for a role when the time comes. Hopefully the Seahawk Theatre Program will see you there.
