By: Morgan Bayda
The time for the Nazareth Area High School theatre troupe’s fall play has come and gone, and this year the play was Charlotte’s Web. I interviewed senior Makenna Mohn, who plays Charlotte, to get a behind-the-scenes look at all the time and hard work put into the plays to make them so spectacular. Makenna told me that in order to perfect the production, the crew and cast met for two days per week from five o’clock to nine. At the practices, the cast worked on blocking and getting to know their characters while stage crew worked on the lighting and making sure everyone’s microphones worked. She also told me that the cast would occasionally help the stage crew make props and build the set.
When asked if she was excited to be portraying Charlotte, she responded, “Yes! Growing up, Charlotte’s Web was my favorite movie, and Charlotte was my favorite. I am excited and blessed to be portraying Charlotte because I feel like she has a story that needs to be heard. I am very thankful to have a wonderful director who helped me become a better actor.”
Along with that, I asked if she personally believed the show would be a success to the public and she replied, “Yes, at least I hope so. I feel like a lot of people know the story, so hopefully it will be a hit.”
Makenna’s favorite part of the play was “A scene where I have to test to see if Wilbur’s radiant, so I make Wilbur run back and forth across the stage.” She said that she thought it was entertaining, and she hopes the audience enjoys that part too. On the other hand, her least favorite/most stressful part of producing the play, and she answered, “The microphones. Sometimes they don’t work, so you just have to project and hope the audience can hear me.”
Finally, I asked her if she had any advice to give to her fellow classmates or anyone who is thinking about trying out for a school production, and she replied, “Go for it. It’s an amazing experience, and it is a great way to make new friends. I have made so many friends through theatre, and it teaches you that patience is key.”