Diary of a Wimpy Kid auditions have now come to an end, students who were interested in a role were required to learn a dance, pick up a song sheet, and act out the song as they were performing, along with group and individual auditions.
¨I think the audition process went smoothly, since it was my first audition I didn’t know what I was walking into, so it was all just for fun!” Janrita Dahn said.
The drama department is focusing on getting younger audiences to the show, Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be the first show in the past few years that is targeted towards a younger audience. This show is also being pushed to later in the school year, which is a change from past years.
“Well, this year the musical is delayed to [later in the year], and of course, we are doing a musical this fall instead of a play, which is what we usually do,” Jillian Leman ‘26 said.
Many students are also already familiar with Diary of a Wimpy Kid from the books or movies from when they were younger.
“I do [have high expectations for Diary of a Wimpy Kid]. It’s a great book, great movie, and a great musical as well, and I’m super excited,” Greta Hayek ‘25 said.
Both the cast and crew are looking forward to putting on this winter musical, hoping it will bring in more people to theater.
“We hope to continue to build this smaller show as an opportunity for more students to get involved in the drama department,¨ Doug Lestina, tech director, said.
No matter what grade, newcomers are always welcomed into the theater space in any capacity, whether that be cast or crew.
“[I started theater now] because I just felt like for my last year at City High, I might as well try everything that I haven’t tried because I won’t get another chance to do it. I’ve heard really good things about the theater department, and I’ve always gone to the plays and musicals, and they’ve always been really good,” Hayek said.
Since Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been pushed back to later in the year, it has around 12 weeks of practice. However, they are shortening weekly rehearsals to only 3 times a week instead of 5. Even with the shorter rehearsal days in a week, the cast is excited to get going.
“You should definitely audition for school musicals because it’s a great way to find a community and make friends. Who doesn’t want to sing and dance?” Leman said.
The theater department usually chooses somewhere between 6-8 shows that they consider and then discuss which show would best meet the needs of the drama department and audience.
Directors were seeking a challenge for students this year.
¨We really hadn’t done a kids show in the recent past. It gives us an opportunity to have a large case show and have many actors have a fairly large role,¨ Doug Lestina said.
The main leaders for the show this year are Lauren Darby, Betsy Staack, Doug Lestina, Rich Burke, Michelle Buell, Shelby Zukin, and Jacque Green.
There are many opportunities for different creative outlets in the drama department, besides acting. Students interested in art, design, construction, or technology can apply for different positions.
¨This is just a really enjoyable show that can be seen by all and I hope that City High students come and check out the show as it puts many of the memorable scenes in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and movies on stage,¨ Doug Lestina said.
