Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
MEMBERS OF the Awkward Stage Youth Drama Club rehearse a scene at the Historic Ironwood Theatre Monday. Actors include, from left, standing Megan Hughes, Jamee Bastman, Zane Ozzello, Tory Lowe, Sierra Robinson, Abby Terzano, Angelina Jarvela, Nicholas Backlund, Jennifer Murray and Hannah Steckling; kneeling, Bailey Barthel, Ethan Puisto and Claire Jackson; and laying down, Tom Lardinois.
IRONWOOD - The stage of the Historic Ironwood Theatre will be turned over to high school students this weekend as The Awkward Stage Youth Drama Club stages three productions of "While the Lights Were Out" on Friday and Saturday.
Described as an "over the top farce" with "serious undertones" by Ethan Puisto, the club's president and a sophomore at Luther L. Wright High School, the play is based around a dinner party that goes awry when a diner is murdered during a power outage.
Puisto plays the role of the detective inspector who is called upon to solve the case.
"It's a very entertaining play and its loaded with a bunch of ... plot twists," said Hurley sophomore Tom Lardinois, who plays the role of Lord Clive Wickenham.
The group will be performing the play at 7 p.m. on Friday as well as two shows on Saturday - a 2 p.m. matinee and a final performance at 7 p.m.
Now in its third year, the club is made up of students in grades six through 12 from both the western Upper Peninsula as well as northern Wisconsin, although this production was limited to high school students.
A partnership between the Ironwood Carnegie Library and the Ironwood Theatre, according to a press release, the club has been primarily funded through a $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant.
One of the founders, and the play's director, Mary Hansen explained that the club used a portion of the grant to purchase necessary equipment and finance production costs while working toward creating a program that could function off revenue generated from productions.
"The grant is paying for the facilities ... so then the money we make from these shows will go into an account, so that after this grant is done, that will be the foundation for future shows," said Hansen.
The club was created in response to the lack of drama programs in the area schools, Hansen said.
"Each school has three or four (students wanting to be in drama) and you put them together and they make a wonderful group," Hansen said.
Several of the cast members praised acting and specifically the club for being a place to express their individuality.
"I love that you can be this totally different character than who you are. I just love acting in general," said Angelina Jarvela, a Luther L. Wright freshman who plays Lady Monica Wickenham.
Regarding the club, Jarvela said that she appreciated the equality and openness of the group.
"I like that we can all be ourselves and that we are all equal here," she said.
Lardinois echoed her feelings, adding that the stage provided him with a place to utilize his imagination when acting a character.
"I've always had a real big vivid imagination so I feel like I can really connect with the character," said Lardinois.
Tickets are available at the theater and the library as well as at the door.
