By Jen Samuel, Managing Editor
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP — Theater had its day for teens and youngsters alike on Saturday.
Fifteen Bordentown Regional High School students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, performed “Sideways Stories From Wayside School” to a crowd of youngsters on April 21. It took place at the high school’s Bordentown Performing Arts Center.
Stacie Morano, technical director and theater manager for Bordentown Regional School District, said, “This was a completely student-run production, from director to actor to designers to stage crew.”
It was the first year students ran a play on their own.
Tickets were $5 each and included a milk with cookies meet and greet after the show.
”Sideways Stories From Wayside School” was directed by Bordentown Senior Megan Sirak. Ms. Morano served as the staff advisor.
”Her design for this production won her a Superior medal at this year’s New Jersey State Thespian Festival,” Ms. Morano said, noting that the senior spent most of the year planning and working on it.
”It was a lot of fun. We had a nice crowd, it was about 200 people and a lot of kids,” Ms. Morano said. “After the show youngsters were invited to have cookies and milk with the cast.”
The high school presented “Treasure Island” in the fall and the “Legally Blond” musical the first weekend of March. “Legally Blond” featured a full cast of 40 students, crew members and an orchestra.
As for Wayside, Ms. Morano described the play as an “action packed comedy.”
Only days after “Legally Blond” ran Ms. Sirak, 18, of North Hanover Township, began casting for “Sideways Stories From Wayside School.”
When speaking with the Register-News on April 23, she said really liked the play because it was based on children’s books she had read as a child. Noteworthy, she said her imagination as a child created visual images that she utilized while creating the scenery for her directing debut.
Author Louis Sachar wrote the Wayside School children’s books.
”I’ve always loved reading . . . I built these wild pictures in my mind (of an) outlandish place,” Ms. Sirak said.
She called her high school peers “professional” and “a great joy to work with.”
Students cast in “Sideways Stories From Wayside School” included senior Arden Walker; senior Christopher Bey; sophomore Hannah Ayars; senior Kelly Ermi; sophomore Elise LeMassena; senior Karson Knudson; junior Ray McCormock; freshman Ivan Trancon; junior Ashley Hansell; senior Jennifer Bognar; freshman Erin Hansell; junior Hope Leonard; sophomore Matt Dalton; freshman Kaitlyn Anthony and senior Matt Tucci.
Of the youngsters who saw the play, Ms. Sirak said, “I think the kids absolutely loved it.”
The play featured creative puppets and dancing, Ms. Sirak said.
She plans to study theater production and music theater at DeSales University in Pennsylvania in the fall.
