By Dakoda Johnson
For junior Isaac Brewer, his first big role in his acting life has left him with more than 300 lines to memorize. How does he do it?
“l just read them over and over again and then when I’m driving in my car by myself l just repeat them over and over just to get them right,” Brewer says.
Other people have large amounts of lines, too, such as Sabrina Cheek, a senior.
Sabrina has about 140 lines as Bella Lamb in the play called Rehearsal for Murder, but she has a different way from Brewer to learn her lines.
“Desperation, crying, sobbing, and rolling on the floor — no that’s overdramatic,” Cheek said. “I make flash cards, Quizlets, anything really that is repetitive.”
It all must be stressful and difficult, but what about the person directing the play?
Mrs. Dawn Raleigh, theater and English teacher, has been doing theater since her high school years at Delta.
“l was involved in theater in that sense so we did a lot of shows,” Mrs. Raleigh said. “Then l did do some in college. l took a lot of classes in college. l traveled a lot and got to see a lot of theaters.”
How about when the curtain goes up, what happens then?
“It’s anyone’s guess what will happen,” Mrs. Raleigh said, “but l can’t tell you how many kids will drop lines, miss lines, jump pages and they just have to figure it out.”
It all sounds stressful and difficult, but there are many ways to learn your lines.
“It’s whatever repetition they can get. Just practice and rehearsing and looking at it to help you remember it,” Mrs. Raleigh says.
Rehearsal for Murder is a play in which Alex Dennison (Isaac Brewer) is a playwright who is engaged to an actress named Monica Welles (Hailie Woodring). But on the opening night of her new Broadway play, she seemingly kills herself over bad reviews. Thoroughly upset, Alex couldn’t believe she would commit suicide and begins to suspect she was actually murdered by someone.
The play will be Dec. 9 and Dec. 10, starting at 4 p.m. each day. The cost is $5 at the door with children fifth grade and younger admitted free.
CAST LIST Teacher: Mrs. Raleigh
Alex Dennison Isaac Brewer
Ernestine Mackemzie Lipps
Sally Bean Eleanor Nolan
Monica Welles Hailie Woodring
Loretta Michelle Taylor
Alisha Lloyd Gracie Navarro
Bella Lamb Sabrina Cheek
Karen Daniels Eden Terry
David Mathews Corbin Malchow
Leo Gibbs Linus Weimer
Female police officer 1 Hailee Hamilton
Female police officer 2 Sammi Raleigh
Man in the auditorium/McElroy/Frank Josiah Hotmire
Santoro Alaina Painter
Lieutenant Leyton Martin
Play/party attendees/stage crew Willow Brown
Savannah Condie
Charles Knapp
Noelle Longsworth
