Regina George: a name recognized even by those who have never seen the 2004 film ‘Mean Girls.’ The film’s popularity, however, was not only based on its iconic blonde mean girl but also on the coming of age message of what it means to be kind. Regardless of why or how it happened, ‘Mean Girls’ became so influential that it was not only made into a Broadway show in 2018 but also a movie-musical released this January.
This upcoming March it is Parker’s turn. On January 3, Parker’s “Mean Girls” cast gathered on the stage of the auditorium to conduct a read-through and get familiar with the script. With an excited buzz in the air, the cast and directors began to discuss the schedule as well as the expectations that came with it.
“I’m in charge of the staging/scene rehearsals. We have over twenty people working as actors on the play. I took all of their existing conflicts and made a chart of when each person was and was not available. Then I broke down the play into scenes and songs and cross referenced when actors were available with the scenes they were in,” Director Cassie Slater said.
Like all Upper School students at Parker, the cast of “Mean Girls” had to prepare for one of the busiest and most stressful weeks of the year–Finals Week.
With the utmost understanding, Slater canceled that week’s rehearsals to allow the students to study and adequately prepare themselves for their various exams. “We lost some rehearsals and are currently behind on music,” Upper School choir director Christian Jackson said regarding the Finals Week delay.
Since then, however, the student actors have been working hard learning their songs, their dances, and staging. During music and voice lessons, student actors are separated by their ‘cliques’ or the group their character is in. In each rehearsal the directors and crew make special care that each person and clique gets individual attention when necessary so each part flows cohesively.
In each rehearsal the determination is visible. It’s evident in the carefulness in which they take in their choreography. Actors talk amongst themselves when the focus is on a different cast mate, yet immediately snap into focus when it is their turn. They display a balance of fun mixed with not wanting to interfere with each other’s learning. This attitude was only increased by the Finals Week delay.
“We all feel the pressure of creating an excellent show and want to create something we’re all excited about.” Jackson said. The cast’s faith in each other is incredible already, as is their faith in how the musical will turn out.
“Mean Girls is one of my favorite musicals, so I’m so excited that we’re doing it this year,” junior Amy O’Brien said. “I hope that rehearsals continue to get better, and we’re proud of the final product. There are a lot of new cast members this year, so I can’t wait to see how it turns out.”
