By Mae Sullens
With less than a week until opening night, White County High School's Theatre is in final rehearsals for “Hadestown: Teen Edition.” The show is brought to life through the leadership of drama teacher Jessi Cook, a talented cast and a dedicated stage crew.
Hadestown follows the story of a young, romantic Orpheus and Eurydice, whose story is intertwined with that of King Hades and Persephone. Driven by hunger, Eurydice is drawn to the underground world of Hadestown, and fueled by love, Orphesus risks it all to bring her home. In a beautiful tale of grief, love and hope, Hadestown combines folk, jazz and blues with an ancient Greek tale to bring a timeless, relevant piece to the stage.
For many of the cast, Hadestown is the first show that they truly fell in love with, and to them, the performance doesn't feel like a show alone, it feels like art. Their passion for the show and desire to bring their best is evident in rehearsals, and the kinship in the cast creates a closeness both on and off of the stage.
Lexi Schmidt, a senior playing one of the Fates, finds great delight in her role.
"I love the harmonies and the camaraderie with the other Fates," Schmidt shared. "The Fates are such morally grey characters and playing into the aspects of their characters is fun."
Lex Sanders, a junior playing Hermes, has loved Hadestown for some time, and had the opportunity to see the show on Broadway. Seeing the show then has had a lasting impact on her, as it was the first time she saw a plus-sized woman play such a prominent role in a show. Getting to play Hermes herself has been an adventure.
"I love the variation of the role and bringing something different to the stage," Sanders said. "Hadestown is such a beautiful story about humanity and a representation of love and grief while demonstrating what to do when facing things you can't change and finding ways to cope."
The students' efforts to present a show worth seeing is evident. Catch the show Wednesday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 8. Tickets can be purchased at https://whitecountyhighschooltheatre.ludus.com/