Extracurriculars 

Get ready—this fall’s play isn’t like anything you’ve seen before. Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind throws out the rules of traditional theater with 30 mini-plays packed into just 60 minutes. Even better? The audience controls the order by shouting out numbers, so no two shows will ever be the same. New director Dan Mitchell says, “The show is fast-paced and different every night. It’s the type of show that requires a tremendous amount of collaboration, and with this being my first production in the community, I couldn’t think of a better way to get to know everyone.” Mitchell also teased a few “special projects” in the works—but is keeping the details a surprise. With connections to art and band, this year’s production promises an immersive experience that breaks the mold of the typical fall play.

Written by: Mrs. Richardson

When we think of the CLC drama club, our minds automatically go to the yearly plays and musicals, which feature students in both performing and backstage production. Maybe we even pause to think about the choir department, which puts on four concerts throughout the year. But one tradition usually escapes the notice of the wider student body, the Madrigal Dinner. 

The dinner has been held for over five decades, the traditional renaissance costumes passed down from student to student, generation to generation over the years. Starting this year, CLC’s Madrigal Dinner will be the longest consecutively held high school dinner in the state. 

The dinner traditionally occurs in the auditorium, student servers known as wenches and serfs attending to the eight long tables set up on stage. ‘Peasant seats,’ or the regular auditorium seats beneath the stage, are also available for purchase. 

Guests are serenaded by the highest level student choir, the Madrigal singers, as well as entertained by non-musical actors who put on an original performance and often interact directly with the patrons. 

Hidden in these larger trends are the small customs that make CLC’s Madrigal dinner unique. At the end of the production, the whole cast, including the wenches and serfs, join the actors and signers in a performance of the classic Christmas carol Silent Night. The chamberlain and head wench announce each visitor in a comical way, and even the food is a sort of tradition. 

A full dinner is served to the visitors onstage, along with wassail. Wassail is a beverage similar to apple cider that dates back to the Middle Ages. Historically, it was drunk at a ceremony to ensure a fruitful harvest in the twelfth century. In the Madrigal Dinner, it is the subject of a song carroled by the singers. 

Besides the wassail song, the singers usually intone a number of Christmas carols and other songs that fit into the story of the play put on by the actors. The Madrigal choir is the only choir that requires an audition, a process that takes place at the end of each school year. 

Singers are carefully selected based not only on their voices, but also on their ability to sight sing, or to sing a song directly out of sheet music without spending a large amount of time learning the notes. The group typically meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, and is the only choir which practices beyond school hours. 

The Madrigal actors also meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays during Madrigal auditions. Their group is small, and the camaraderie within the cast is evident to anyone who might witness a rehearsal. 

One actress, Anna Snow, remarked on her personal experiences transitioning from a wench– one of the servers– in last year’s dinner to an actress in this year’s. “[Actor rehearsals] are a little more high maintenance than being a wench or a serf, but honestly, it’s really fun... It’s a good way to spend weekday evenings.”

Another participant, Alethea Tuma, states, “This is my second year doing Madrigal acting… I think it’s a really fun experience. There’s a lot of fun team bonding stuff.” The actors participate in a secret santa activity every year where they give each other Christmas gifts, and are overall a fairly bonded group. 

Oftentimes, the play features a royal family who preside over the guests. Usually, the family consists of a king, queen, and their two children, a prince and princess. Their servants are also featured in the performance, and usually serve as narrators. 

This year’s script is a comical take on a romance. It uses the classic Hallmark movie formula to create an enticing financial conflict and lovely romantic story. Each scene outlines the simple joys of Christmas, beautiful familial ties, and the life changing power of empathy. 

The Madrigal Dinner seems to go unnoticed amidst the chaos of the end of the semester, and is largely overshadowed by the other wonderful productions staged by the drama club; however, it is a consistently delightful performance that is essential to the school culture. Each and every student, whether they are a wench, serf, actor, or singer, gives themselves over completely to their role in the show. It is definitely worth buying a ticket! 

Written by Emma Hartwig

Released in 1962 and nominated for six Academy Awards, the classic movie starring Robert Preston, The Music Man, invokes the names of traditional, vintage actors such as Ron Howard and Shirley Jones. It is undeniable that The Music Man holds a special, nostalgic place in the hearts of all those who have watched it, even inspiring a 2003 reboot with Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth. 

But The Music Man isn’t simply an old movie floating somewhere outside the collective consciousness of today’s teens– Wednesday, August 21 marked the day that it became the 2024-2025 school year’s musical at CLC. 

Mrs. Kimberly Scherrer, CLC’s very own choir director and one of the musical’s producers, explained the selection process in an interview. Sitting sideways on one of the plastic chairs in her choir room, Scherrer was enthusiastic and welcoming throughout the interaction. 

“The students who… decide to go into musical theater, to study performance, their resume will need to have a variety of styles, and I think a lot about that when I’m picking a musical,” Scherrer said warmly. “So, for example, the past two years have been considered contemporary and imaginative shows– The Addams Family and Shrek– so to balance their experiences, I knew I was looking for a classic show… because it’s just a whole different set of acting skills.” 

She explained how the student body has a very active role in her decision-making. In simple terms, she evaluates the range and capabilities of her students to see how they will fit the production. “For example, if I did not have a crazy strong soprano, then I would never pick Hello Dolly, because that’s the lead role,” Scherrer stated with a laugh. “My rule is that if I can’t list at least two or three people for every role, then it’s not the right show for us.” 

Scherrer knew what type of musical she was searching for early on. She needed a classic show that her top students were capable of performing, but she still hadn’t found exactly what she was looking for. 

“I did read Guys and Dolls. I actually went and saw it at Drury Lane just to get a fresh eye on it, even though I’ve directed it twice before,” she said. 

Guys and Dolls is a romantic comedy, not too different from The Music Man. The lead role is a showgirl named Sky Masterson, and the original musical was written by Jo Swerling, Abe Burrows, and Frank Loesser. 

Scherrer also considered traditional Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals such as Oklahoma! the first ever Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, based on the 1931 play Green Grow the Lilacs. 

“None of them really sat right to me,” Scherrer said. She just kept coming back to The Music Man. “...It has a huge variety of styles within it, it’s a pretty big cast, so it has a lot of opportunities for students, and it even features a Barber’s Shop Quartet, which is something that’s been of interest to a lot of students.” 

After watching the original movie myself, I can’t deny that I understand why Scherrer singled it out among all the classics under consideration. The musical numbers are powerful, fun, and timeless, the story well-written and intriguing, and the characters well-developed and interesting. 

The student body considering trying out for the musical seems to share my enthusiasm. “I’m very excited [for this year’s musical],” said Corey Atkinson, a senior and longtime participant in CLC’s musicals. “I’m a really big fan of the classic musicals… [And] I really am excited about the different character opportunities– there’s a lot of different roles with a lot of different featured parts... I also really like the music in it.” 

“This year, there was a huge cheer when I announced the musical, so that’s always the best feeling for me,” said Scherrer, amid admitting how stressful it can be when considering if the students will like her choice of musical. “This is the thing I worry about the most– it causes me the most stress,” she said. “Once I’ve picked a show, I keep running through scenarios in my head of ‘Are people going to enjoy this, are they not going to enjoy this?’” 

Yet no matter how the student body feels about the musical, the choice has been made. Now, Scherrer and the other staff involved in the production will work over the course of this semester and part of the next to prepare for the show. An intrinsic part of this preparation is, of course, the students, who work in everything from lighting to makeup to set design to performing. 

When asked to explain the audition process, Scherrer was eager to highlight that she hopes students are not put off by the anxiety that generally circulates at the mere idea of auditions. “It’s a really stressful week, both for students and for judges. We have a lot to consider,” she admitted. 

When preparing for auditions, students are asked to pick a song and a monologue that isn’t directly related to the show itself. Unlike most middle school productions, neither is provided for them. Students are also expected to learn a pre-choreographed dance beforehand and perform it in groups in front of judges at a separate dance audition. The dance is usually included in the final production. 

“The musical is unique in that we look for proficiency in three areas: singing, acting, and dancing,” Sherrer said. “Depending on the roles, usually there’s one area that needs to be stronger than others. So we have to look at students from those three areas…and figure out where the best placement is for them to feel successful and confident on stage.”

“The audition process is… a pretty okay thing to go through,” Atkinson said, with a hint of hesitation in his voice. “It can be a lot if it’s your first year, but just having done it so many times, it’s pretty standard, and I’ve done enough of them where it just feels like second nature.” 

Of course, students are needed to try out for the musical in other ways besides just performing. The stage crew has yet to be announced, meaning that students are still needed for makeup, costumes, set design, lighting, sound, and other backstage work on the night of the production. 

Musical auditions are being held the first week of December. Exact dates and times can be selected on the CLC drama club page beginning on November fourth at three pm. Email Mrs. Scherrer or Mr. Kingston for more information. The musical itself will be performed between March thirteenth and sixteenth in CLC’s very own auditorium. 

The musical undoubtedly holds a special place at CLC. The school’s productions bring students together, whether they are participating or simply watching. Hopefully, we can count on CLC’s production of The Music Man to live up to these high expectations. 

Written by Emma Hartwig