Ringgold High School: Troupe 8715 thespians perform ‘Junie B. Jones’ musical Oct. 12-13
You are cordially invited (for a reasonable price) to attend the musical production of “Junie B. Jones” by International Thespian Society (ITS) Troupe 8715, led by Jané Ellis, at Ringgold High School (RHS) on Oct. 12 and 13. Troupe 8715 makes up the theater honor society at RHS and is the first ITS troupe at a school in Catoosa County.
You might have a few questions.
First, what is a thespian? A thespian is an actor. The word comes from the name of an ancient Greek fellow named Thespis who reportedly came up with idea of people playing individual roles in performances instead of speaking in chorus, as was the custom of his time over 2,500 years ago.
And a troupe? In this case, a group of actors. Okay, who is Junie B. Jones? She’s the main character in a popular series of children’s books, a spunky, funny little girl with a mind of her own.
“We wanted to do a family-friendly play that would appeal to almost anyone,” says Kelly Schroder, president of the booster club for Troupe 8715.
All the elementary schools in Catoosa County will be attending the play at special showings just for them several days after the public performance. Nearly 3,000 students are expected to attend.
Troupe 8715 will also be taking its “Junie B. Jones” performance to the One Act contest in Calhoun on Oct. 23, where the troupe will compete with nine other schools. “The troupe will have exactly one hour to set up, perform and be off the stage,” says Schroder. “It’s a timed contest and you lose points for going over your time.”
“Junie B. Jones” will not be the troupe’s only performance this year. Last year, RHS performers competed in the Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards — Shuler Hensley Awards with a performance of “Oklahoma” and will be competing again this school year, performing “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and hoping to earn nominations in multiple categories.
Membership in the International Thespian Society, says Schroder, is not only a great honor but also opens doors for students. “They’ll get to attend Thescon 2019 in Columbus where there will be workshops and a lot of opportunities to learn more about theater. Belonging to ITS is also a good addition to college and work applications.”
But for students, musical theater is about much more than honors, competitions and shiny résumés. Here’s how some of Troupe 8715’s members express their theater experience.
Jake Stallard (senior): “Musical theater for me is an outlet. When I come into musical theater, I am not only able to express myself but I’m able to do so in a way that I leave with less stress, anxiety or even anger. I know that I am always working toward something bigger and anything that I fixed that day will show up on stage later, even if I didn’t notice a difference right then.”
Will Murdoch (junior): “To me, musical theater is a way to fit in. Throughout the day, most of my work ends up being on my own rather than with others. Theater makes people work as a team instead of on their own, creating a feeling of belonging for everyone and causing people in theater to become incredibly close. The bond creates a firm sense of family and a comfortable environment for learning, acting, singing and dancing.”
Caroline Schroder (senior): “Musical theater came into my life at a time when I needed it most. During my sophomore year, I wasn’t feeling very connected or motivated at school. Two friends convinced me to try out for the school musical and it changed my life. The environment that the cast created brought out the best in me and gave me lifelong friends. Now, as a senior, I want to recreate that same safe place for my classmates and bring out the best in them as well. I want to work to change the future of this program and impact the lives of kids so they’ll join as they enter high school. I want to inspire everyone who sees our shows.”
Gage Goza (junior): “Musical theater is the perfect combination of all art forms put into one fabulous way of presenting feelings and emotion. It is a way to share a piece of yourself with an art form that is greater than yourself. Everyone has a place in musical theater because everyone has a different perspective on art that is unique and important. Musical theater is a very unique way to express different points of view through art, song and dance which allows people of all talents to come together to make something truly magnificent.”
For those who would like to attend one of the public performances of “Junie B. Jones,” the dates are Oct. 12 and 13, both at 7 p.m., at Ringgold High School, 29 Tiger Trail. The cost is $3 for students and $8 for adults. Tickets are available at rhsperformingarts.ludus.com.
For those who would like to attend one of the public performances of “Junie B. Jones,” the dates are Oct. 12 and 13, both at 7 p.m., at Ringgold High School, 29 Tiger Trail. The cost is $3 for students and $8 for adults. Tickets are available at rhsperformingarts. ludus.com.