This year, the specialized academic curriculum and autistic students (SACAU) of Rocky River High were working to put on a production of “A Christmas Carol” with the help of the school’s theatre II and theatre III students. It took several months for Laura Ann Lake, the exceptional children’s teacher, and fine arts chair Matthew Webster to develop the plan where theatre II and III students would work alongside EC students as on-stage understudies.
Erin Moore, a senior and the only theatre III student at Rocky River, served as the student director. “It was a lot of work, but it gave the students more confidence,” she said. “It was great to see how much they’ve grown.”
The theatre II students assisted the actors by helping them with their lines, providing a little extra stage direction and giving a few tips on how to get rid of stage fright. To keep the spotlight on the main actors, these theatre students distinguished themselves in support roles by wearing all black while the actors dressed in costume. While the EC students faced some challenges with script reading, sensitivity to light and shyness to the stage, the understudies were available at the sides of their leading partners and ready to lend a hand in putting on a great show.
The theatre II student assistants were: Kendall Adams, Destine Carrington, Karina Blackburn, Kassandra Walker, Matthew Ritch, Kiara Drakeford, Sydney Moore, Kristen Manchette and Alex Puzon.
