An alumni class from a fictitious high school gather during a scene from the Southwick Tolland Granville Regional High School drama club play “If These Walls Could Talk”. The play will open with a brief performance of “Mr.Call the Musical” Nov.1-3 at 7 p.m. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – Students at Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School (STGRHS) will perform not just one, but two plays this weekend.
Audience members will get more bang for their five bucks at the annual fall production set for Nov. 1-3 at 7 p.m. at the high school.
The first show is a world premiere written by STGRHS senior Jordan Reed titled “Mr. Call The Musical.”
The 15-minute musical is a parody of what happens after school in the life of actual STGRHS music teacher Adam Call.
Reed said she was certainly inspired by Call, who teaches all music classes at the school.
“It’s been a joke in the music department that Mr. Call should have his own musical,” Reed said.
When play director Peter Follet, performing arts teacher, put out a call for students to write something, Reed jumped at the chance.
“I took some well known musical songs – from ‘Rent’ and ‘The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee’ and changed the words to fit the play,” said Reed.
The result is a funny, musical look at Call.
Call said when he heard about the musical, he was “pretty surprised.”
“It was something we had joked about in class,” Call said.
A Westfield resident, Call, 28, is in his sixth year teaching at STGRHS. He plays a variety of instruments but mainly plays saxophone.
Call was given the script to review but has not seen any rehearsals.
“I’m looking forward to seeing it for myself,” he said, adding that he will have a cameo.
“I’ll be playing the saxophone in the show,” Call said. “I’m excited to see it.”
Reed said most of the play is fictional, but includes snippets of things Call has shared with his students about his life.
“He talks about taking care of his two dogs and performing at restaurants with friends,” Reed said. “So it has some funny things about that.”
Reed plans to continue writing and performing after high school at a New York college.
“I want to either double major in theater and business, or major in theater and minor in business,” she said.
The second show of the night is “If These Walls Could Talk,” which takes place at a high school reunion where alum Elaine Dunn (portrayed by STGRHS senior Victoria DeCosmo) has returned to receive an award and ends up reflecting on her high school years in the form of flashbacks.
“In the play I am 24 and just wrote a book,” DoCosmo said of her role.
DeCosmo has performed in school plays and attended an acting camp. She plans to attend college in Vermont and is interested in studying theater, art and psychology.
Junior Kayleen Gerow has the role of Gloria Russell and took the opportunity offered by playwright Robert Swift to write an extension of her character.
Follet said Swift wrote “If These Walls Could Talk” with room for students to write-in more for their characters.
Gerow did just that.
“I wrote a scene between Gloria’s older self and younger self,” she said.
Gerow has been acting since she was five years old.
“I’ve performed at schools, with the Red Door Theater, and the Majestic Theater,” she said.
Being herself around her fellow actors is part of the draw for Gerow.
“I like that you are able to be yourself with a group of people you can open up to,” she said.
Follet said 40 students are participating in the show, including actors and stage hands.
Tickets are $5 and available at the door Nov. 1-3.
