The spring production of the Becker High School drama department, “Up the Down Staircase”, was a well-crafted and smoothly-executed rendition of a play from the mid-60’s that “still has resonance today,” according to director Joe Rand, who made his debut at the helm of a BHS production with this successful effort.
The play presented multiple challenges to both the play director and the technical director, requiring a set that creates the atmosphere of a classroom in a troubled section of New York City in the mid-1960’s, as well as allowing space for characters to read letters back and forth across distance at the same time, or become the contents of the school suggestion box. TD Rich Kimmerle, who has created memorable sets and props for recent productions of “Dream Coat” and “Little Mermaid Jr.®”, was able to re-cycle elements from a 1979 BHS production, added to the new elements he crafted to produce a realistic and efficient rendition of the fictitious Calvin Coolidge High School”.
Adapting to the customs and morays of a time and place that existed long before any of them were born, the cast was able to deliver the humor, angst and sadness that are the daily lot of high school students and their teachers everywhere. Makayla Graning let the large cast with an assured performance as Sylvia Barrett, a young English teacher almost overwhelmed by the challenges of troubled youth and merciless bureaucracy in her first job out of college. She was ably assisted by a crew of the usual suspects, including Kassidi Andres and Matt Nelson as two experienced teachers who guide the newcomer through the minefield of her first year of teaching.
Performances were uniformly good, with some standout moments from Andy Johnson as class clown Lou Martin, Joey Kimmerle as tough kid Joe Ferone, NaTalie Neidenfeuhr as sad Alice Blake, Anna Landsverk as administrator Ms. McHabe, Austin Hill as the ever-campaigning student politician Harry A. Kagan, Carly Pruszinske as Carole Blanca and Nick Norgaard as Lennie Neumark. Alexandra Kimmerle did quality work with an odd role, playing Barrett’s best friend Ellen. The two communicate by sending letters, which they read on-stage together though they are miles apart in the reality of the story.
Other notables included Angelica Anderson as obsessed librarian Charlotte Wolf, Alyssa Olson as conflicted nurse Frances Egan, Gabrielle Proefrock as school guidance counselor Ella Friedenberg and Laura Niday as chief secretary Sadie Finch.
Working on the tech crew for “Staircase” were Emily Knudsen, Emily Tesmer, Kiersten Stoops, Nicole Knudsen, Katie Cantin, Jasmine Anderson, Kendra Buettner, Adam DeVall, Erika Soyring, Abby Steffens and Morgan Steffens.
