A Night of Contemplation debuts Friday
The cast and crew of the upcoming the Cameron High School Drama Department’s production of “A Night of Contemplation” put the final touches on their one-act plays this week.
With many of the student written, student directed one-act plays tackling difficult subject matter related to mental health, CHS teacher Missy Harper-Stemberger said she found it difficult to give direction to students while performing a scene with aspects they personally experienced.
“Several of these kids wrote their own (plays). That’s therapeutic in itself. Not only to write, but to act it out in front of others and share problems these kids witnessed or have been through. I think it’s powerful. It’s hard sometimes to give them constructive criticism or say we need to tweak this a little bit, because that’s their heart out on the stage,” Harper-Stemberger said.
“A Night of Contemplation” debuts 7 p.m. Friday, with a follow-up performance scheduled for Saturday, and tackles a variety of topics - both internal and external - related to mental health. Whether discussing the impacts of fading mental faculties, drug abuse, bullying or the loss of a loved one, many students found themselves reliving their experiences on stage.
“My biggest fear is this is such an important topic. I feel unprepared. I know I’m prepared, but I am so worried that people aren’t going to take it seriously if every single line isn’t delivered the way it needs to be,” student actor/writer Kasidy Wilcox said.
The series of one-act plays is not just meant to inspire their classmates, but the Cameron community at-large. In between each performance, attendees are encouraged to reach out to the numerous businesses on hand specializing in mental health and physical wellness. The hope is students inspire members of the community to take a personal inventory and resolve their personal battles.
“I just hope this reaches the person it needs to reach. I know a lot of people go through this and it’s not talked about enough,” student actor/writer Jillian Bonderer said.
The show debuts 7 p.m. Friday inside the Goodrich Theater. There will be a second showing 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $5 and only available at the door. For more information or to sign up to become a vendor, check out the Cameron High School Drama Department Facebook page for more information.
“It’s always scary during show week, but we always pull through. It will be great,” Mental health is not talked about as much as it needs to be. It’s regarded as not important, ridiculous or embarrassing. It’s something that’s joked about a lot in our generation, that makes me feel like we can’t do anything about it. Hopefully, it reaches the people that feel like they can’t talk about it,” Grace McKinnon said.
Click this link for a downloadable, full-resolution photo gallery. http://mycameronnews.com/night-contemplation-crew-prepares-friday-night-debut
