By Satina Tolman
For The New Era
For nine weeks, the Sweet Home High School auditorium has been alive with laughter, imagination and the sound of pure creativity as students from both the high school and junior high have been hard at work rehearsing “The Brightest Thing,” a family-friendly play bursting with adventure.
The show opens Thursday, Nov. 14, at the SHHS Auditorium, 1641 Long St., with additional performances Friday, Nov. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 16. All evening shows begin at 7 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at noon. The production runs about an hour and 15 minutes.
Admission is based on donation, with a minimum of $1. Any proceeds from the show will be used to design and create dressing rooms for future productions of the growing drama department.
Written by Don Zolidis, one of the most produced playwrights in the country, “The Brightest Thing” tells the story of Emelia, a hyper-imaginative 6-year-old who embarks on a magical journey to save her mother from Ski Pirates. Along the way, she meets a whimsical cast of creatures — a self-proclaimed lazy Big Fairy, a balloonist entrepreneur, a happy manatee, a scrappy jackalope and a tearful Squonk who melts into a puddle whenever she cries.
The fantasy tale is rich with humor, heart and life lessons, blending the real and the imagined to explore topics such as courage, loss, self-worth and love.
Story That Resonated
Director Jennifer McIntyre, who also teaches English at Sweet Home High School, said she read more than 50 scripts this summer before finding the one that captured her heart. She even had Zolidis come and speak with the students about the script, which was very impactful.
“I fell in love with this story,” McIntyre said. “I loved the way Zolidis portrays a child dealing with something as difficult as a parent’s health crisis. A lot of our cast members have personal experiences that resonate with this story, and they’ve fallen in love with it in a way that has really brought the show alive.”
McIntyre said this year’s cast is larger than expected, as a result of a new collaboration with the junior high. “It has been wonderful to work with the younger students,” she said. “Every rehearsal is a growing experience, for me and for them.”
McIntyre takes a careful, intentional approach to her rehearsals. She described the emotionally charged final scene between Emelia and her mother as one that took time and trust to develop. “We started by working just with the mom and Emelia, then gradually added in the supporting actors one by one,” she said. “We’ve been refining that one end scene for the past week and a half to make it what it is today.”
That methodical dedication paid off as the connection between the mother, played by senior Olivia Saveski, and Emelia, the child, played by sophomore Elena Briggs, is powerful and moving. The emotion on stage is so real that many of the actors shed real tears.
McIntyre also mentioned that she has loved seeing the students draw from other parts of their lives and bring them into the show.
As Saveski is a ballet dancer, McIntyre said, “I have loved seeing her bring the physicality of dance into her characterization of Manny the Manatee.” Saveski plays the dual role of the mother and Manny the Manatee.
The students’ dedication, McIntyre said, has surpassed every expectation. “I’m impressed by their questions, their analysis, and their enthusiasm,” she said. “They’ve dug into what the story really means, and every single one of them has contributed something vital to telling it.”
Building a Stronger Program
Helping to guide the process is Madelyn Siefarth, assistant director and Sweet Home Junior High teacher. A 2016 SHHS graduate, Siefarth acted and directed throughout high school and college before returning to Sweet Home to teach language arts and world history.
“Jen and I are both really passionate about building up the drama program in Sweet Home,” she said. “I believe all students deserve a place to bring their talents. Sports aren’t for everyone, and drama provides a creative outlet that’s just as important.”
Siefarth has been developing the junior high drama club since she began teaching five years ago. This year’s collaboration marks another step forward for the district’s growing theater community.
Students Take Center Stage
For the student actors, “The Brightest Thing” has been a transformative experience — both on and off stage.
Briggs, who plays the lead in the play, said the connections among the cast members have made the show special. “It’s amazing to see how everyone brings part of themselves into their roles,” she said.
Briggs said much of that connection comes from McIntyre’s leadership.
“I absolutely love Ms. McIntyre! She is my favorite director I’ve ever had,” Briggs said. “I love how kind she is and how forward she can be, but she gets things done, and she does it in a way that we all have a really good connection with her. She is a really awesome person. She’s more than a director—she’s like family. She’s just really cool, and we couldn’t do any of this without her.”
“At first you might think this is just a kids’ play,” Briggs added, “but the deeper you go, the more you realize how much it reflects real life. It’s magical.”
Senior Levi Ensley plays both Emelia’s father and the balloonist in her imagination. A theater veteran, Ensley called the play “a tragic tale of a daughter who goes on a journey to save her mom in her own way.”
Obie Christman, a junior and three-time cast member, plays the Big Fairy.
“You’ll have a lot of laughs,” he said, “but you’ll also walk away appreciating what you have right now.”
Senior Ivory Lambert, who plays Squonk — the mythical creature who cries herself into a puddle — said what she loves most is the camaraderie.
“The cast members and the play itself are really fun,” she said. “Everybody is so nice.”
Rounding out the cast are: Zed Christmas (Jackelope/Magic); Apollo Gazdag (Sam the Alligator/Magic); Gabe Wilson (Clive the Alligator/Magic); Loki Davis (Beetlejuice the Start/Magic); Shelby Henthorne (Sirius the Star/Magic); ensemble stars Rylee Carbon, Alyssa Langford, Talia Tagg and Bianca White; Ezekiel Center (Murder Hornet/Magic); geese Fawna Foxx, Mason Schneider and Joylynn Turner; Tristan Young (Snow Beard/Magic); Amelia Spinney (Polly the Parrot/Magic, and a goose); Cameron Ahern (Pirate #1); Talitha Watkins (Pirate #2) and ensemble pirates Cameron Ahern, Kenneth Barber, Apollo Goble, Sayuri Miller, Preston Wall and Byron White.
Student crew members include: Stage Manager Paige Reynolds; Aiden Goble and Adalee Cimadon (props); Gabriella Delong, Maddy Greenwalt, Tea Herrera and McKenzie Swanson (costumes); Delong, Serenity Herrera and Rose Muntz (hair and makeup); Owen Cimadon and Caden Foley (sound and lighting).
Story For All Ages
McIntyre recommends the show for ages 8 and up but said her own kindergartener has enjoyed rehearsals. “It’s a family show,” she said, “but it does touch on some heavy topics that are worth discussing with kids of any age.”
Bring some tissues, because whether you’re laughing or crying on this emotional roller coaster through Emelia’s imagination and her real-life tragedy, you may need them.
