Fall has arrived, and with it, comes dancing. This year, the Xavier High School Drama Department will perform the musical Footloose on November 10 and 11 at 7p.m. and November 12 at 2p.m. in the Regis-LaSalle theater. Footloose is about a big city boy, Ren McCormack, who shakes up a small conservative town with music and dance.

Auditions were held in early September and were open to anyone who was interested. Since then, nearly 100 students have been learning and rehearsing their roles four afternoons every week.

Multiple factors go into selecting the musical each year: suitability of content for audiences, difficulty of music for both singers and pit orchestra, and stage limitations. However, the deciding factor for drama director Ms. Sarah Hayes, is interest.

“I love the era it is set in, which is the 80’s,” Hayes said. “We have gone all 80’s for this show, and it is super fun seeing all of these girls walking around in 80’s prom dresses with their huge sleeves and big bows.”

Playing the role of Ren is senior Tristen Perreault. Perreault is an active member of the Xavier music department, having been in choir and band all four years of high school. Still, this role is a unique experience and achievement for him.

“Having the lead role is a pretty big honor for me,” Perreault said. “I remember in middle school seeing some of Xavier’s plays and musicals and thinking how cool it would be if I could do that too. Now I actually get to do just that, which is pretty awesome.”

Unfortunately, not everyone gets to be the main focus in a production. However, Hayes attributes much of the success to those behind the scenes. One such person is the technical director, senior Will Karpick.

“I help design the lighting for the show and help manage the tech side of the production,” Karpick said. “I work closely with the head stage manager, Marissa Cosgrove; the head of sound, Ella Schrader; and Ms. Hayes to try to find the best look and feel for the show.”

With so many like-minded students grouped together, the musical is a great environment for strong friendships to be formed.

“There were a lot of long nights in the weeks leading up to the shows, and the cast and crew grew close during that time,” Karpick said. “At a certain point we all just kind of gave in to the craziness of it all and had fun.”

Tickets for each performance are on sale in the Activities Office on a first come first serve basis amd also will be sold at the door depending on availability.

Keaton Maier

A&E Editor