CHS Drama Department Reaches Out to Joplin Thursday, January 05, 2012 By Sophomore Nate Meister [ArticleImageHyperLink] Advertising The tornado in Joplin, Missouri this past year devastated the community and left many looking for answers. The spring play that has been chosen will highlight these hardships and tell the stories of some of the people who experienced this event. The play will be left mostly in the hands of the students to decide its fate. Students will be in charge of sets, lighting, sound, costumes, and the script. Cameron drama members have been tasked with creating the script, which will be centered around real events and people. The Cameron Drama Department has accepted this challenge, and all the proceeds from the shows will be sent to Joplin to aid in the rebuilding of their community. Junior Drama Department member Sydnie Holzfaster said, “I think centering the spring play around what happened in Joplin is an awesome idea. Most people have no idea just how massive the tornado was and how much damage was done. It will definitely bring a new light to the subject and hopefully it will inspire others to want to help with the relief efforts.” “Before this Mrs. Harper hadn't really decided on what play they would try this year. She had thought about doing ‘The Crucible’ or splitting the cast into two spring shows, one being an all female cast doing the show ‘Steel Magnolias,’ and the other being a mostly male cast doing the show ‘The Outsiders.’ She finally decided to do this because she thought it would be a more powerful show and she wanted to shine some light on what is still going on in Joplin right now,” said Sydnie Holzfaster. “This year we’re doing something really different. Instead of doing ‘The Crucible’ we decided to write our own play. We usually aim for a cast of about 20, which is typical for a play. We try to do different genres every year and for this reason we are doing a drama this year,” said Director Mrs. Harper-Stemberger Junior Drama Department member Taylor Harcort said, “I am much happier with the decision to do the play on the Joplin disaster, because it benefits the residents of Joplin. A lot of cast members are also happy with the decision to change the play, because not many were exited for ‘The Crucible.’ The play is scheduled for March 16,-17. Changing the show like this will show that we can pull off something this fast, and show our true skill. The main theme that the play will incorporate is a couple teenagers trying to cope with a tragedy.” “I think the more people research what happened and what is still going on there, the more powerful it will be. It will just make the show that much more amazing. The students are dedicated and writing the entire show themselves. For the auditions, students will be researching individual stories of what happened in Joplin last spring after a tornado hit, and they will be writing their own monologues. After auditions the monologues will be put together by the students to create a story,” Mrs. Harper explained. Though the play itself will be a huge undertaking, the students seem up for the challenge. Remember, proceeds will be going to the continuing efforts in Joplin, so mark your calendar to be in attendance March 16-17 to see a great show and help some people who could truly use it.

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