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Springing in to Much Ado: Paint Valley High School Produces Its Second Play

This year's spring play is William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing - a romantic comedy that includes clever twists of plot, spirited displays of wit, and malicious manipulations - all of which create a tremendous wealth of unwarranted nonsense that ultimately ends in a truly happy and hilarious ending. The play, a dinner theatre, is scheduled to be performed on the high school stage April 27th - 29th. Auditions were held Thursday, February 1st, and due to inclement weather, Thursday February 22nd. The cast consists of over twenty students ranging from freshmen to seniors. Sophmore, Jordan McLeland, will play the part of Prince Don Pedro; junior Drew Pritchard will play the pompous and witty bachelor Benedick, whose counterpart, the sharp-tongued Beatrice, will be played by sophmore Miranda Long. Other characters awarded consist of the evil Don John, played by sophomore Mike Benner; the yound and naive couple Claudio and Hero, played by junior Lucas White and sophomore Hannah Leeth, and the Governess of Messina, played by senior Aundrea Black. Additional students awarded parts in the play are juniors, Jenny Laessle, Emily Stanley, Maeghan Barnett, and Clark Graves; sophmores, Emily Wright and Amy Jo Brownfield; and freshman, Danielle Adams.

Plans for the play were set in motion in December of 2006 when Christina Martin-Wisecup of the Ross County E.S.C. and Elizabeth Wilson, Drama Director for Paint Valley High School, applied for the David Meade Massie Grant to assist in the cost of a professional lighting system for the high school stage. The grant was awarded in early January in the amount of $4,950.00, and the installation will be completed by Paul Pollard within the next few weeks - in time for the play. Drama students and faculty are excited about the additions to the stage and feel that all the performing arts clubs will benefit from the new equipment. Students involved in Drama will be working on fundraisers between now and the scheduled performances to help raise money for the remaining costs of the system, and they have plans for a sound system in the near future, as well.

After a decade, Paint Valley Local School District now has an established and motivated performing arts program; however, Shakespeare will not be the only focus. With the help of Stephanie Ryan, Paint Valley's Band Director, aspirations for a musical, which will involve an orchestra and singing talent, is definitely in the near future.

Click here to read about the success of the drama production.

Created by: Staci Zickafoose, 7th Grade