High school students have been dancing, singing and pretending to be other people onstage for months in rehearsal. This month, young actors from White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi High School are gearing up to perform their fall musicals.
White Bear Lake Area High School will bring The Addams Family to the stage. Wednesday Addams is all grown up and has fallen in love with a “normal” (gasp!) young man. The Addams family is put to the test as they host a dinner for Wednesday’s boyfriend and his parents, and that night, everything changes. Wendy Suoja, theater director at WBLAHS, takes the lessons about inclusiveness beyond the stage and tries to make them real for every student she teaches. “In order to work at a fiercely fast pace in rehearsals, students need to create an environment that feels safe and open for them to take risks on stage without being judged,” she says. “If they do this, if they care and work hard, they will pack the house and put on an award-winning show that they can be proud of and celebrate.”
Mahtomedi High School will perform Treasure Island, set to a thrilling musical score. “I’m most excited about seeing the large amount of kids onstage in our fine arts theater, the Chautauqua,” says Matt Menier, activities director for MHS. “We’re hoping to put on a show that will make people laugh and be entertained, and I hope the kids have a lot of fun putting on the show.”
The Addams Family, WBLAHS-North Campus, 5045 Division Ave., White Bear Lake. 7 p.m. November 7; 2 p.m. November 8; 7 p.m. November 13–15. Tickets $12 for students/seniors and $15 for adults on November 7, 13-15; $12 for students, $15 for adults and free for seniors on November 8.
Treasure Island, Chautauqua Fine Arts Theatre, 8000 75th St. N., Mahtomedi. 7:30 p.m. November 20, 21 and 22; 2:30 p.m. November 23. Tickets $6 for adults, $4 for students and seniors.
