PHOTOS: Revelstoke Secondary School take to the stage next week on Jan. 18 and 19

Revelstoke Secondary School’s drama department will be performing their play, The End of the World (With Prom to Follow), next week on Wednesday (Jan. 18) and Thursday (Jan. 19).

The students are all set for the upcoming performance. The play comes from the company Playscripts, and was written by Sean Abley. Director of the show and drama instructor at the school, Theresa Browning, sat down to explain what the play is all about.

“Basically, the students wake up on Sep. 15th, and they discover everybody in town is gone,” said Browning.

Without family or teachers, the students are left to their own devices to figure things out. A white light surrounds the town that inches closer to the school throughout the school year. No one knows what is on the other side of the light, but the ones that pass through it don’t come back. Over time, the students form government, causing some students to rebel and creating tension. All the while, the light continues to close in on the students who try to figure out what to do before their prom at the end of the school year.

Olive Slager and Micah Starling play the leading roles in the play, which they have both thoroughly enjoyed.

“My character is kind of like the rebel,” said Starling.

Starling’s character is the leader of the rebel group and challenges the other students who are trying to form government.

Slager’s character is the popular girl who’s a natural leader, which Slager said puts her in positions where she’s often stepped on.

Both Slager and Starling are seniors at RSS, which helps make the experience all the more exciting. The two have been part of five productions that the school has done, but Slager was particularly excited to have her first lead role — especially in this play.

“We tried doing this in grade 10, and we both wanted these parts, but neither of us got these parts,” said Starling.

The department tried to do the same story two years ago, but due to COVID complications, they were unable to go through with the show. So, when it came time to pick the play, the students were eager to pick this one.

“There was very little debate to me, they totally wanted to do this. And the commitment level is fabulous,” said Browning.

The students have been preparing for the show since October. With casting completed by November, the group have been doing full rehearsals ever since.

This production is the first of three to come for the school. Browning spoke highly of the productions, explaining that the “program is flourishing.” Browning is proud of the opportunities that come from the production because it gives students a chance to explore their passion while also gaining valuable skills.

“They get to be themselves here, and they get to have that come out and be able to express it through characters,” said Browning.

Except for direction, which Browning oversees, the whole production is student-run. From the tickets, to programs, to lighting and sound, the students are responsible for it all.

As the two main characters, Slager and Starling have several important parts throughout the play that put them front and centre, but they both referenced smaller details as their favourite moments.

Slager picked a moment when she corrects another character in a one-on-one interaction, giving her the chance to stand up for herself and not be walked-over.

“He says, ‘may the best man win.’ And I say, ‘may the best person win,” said Slager.

For Starling, his favourite moment comes in an innocuous line while talking in a crowd. As his rebellious group bad mouths the other characters, his character defends one of them.

“They might be a mean person up front, but on the inside, they actually care a lot about the people that were important to them,” said Starling.

With all the experience that five productions give, the two leads are comfortable on stage. Slager, however, has the challenging task of kicking off the show with a monologue, but she said she feels “okay” about it.

The play will be on at the Performing Arts Centre for two nights next week, on Jan. 18 and 19. Doors to the show open at 6:30 p.m. with curtain at 7. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the school or at the Art First Gallery.

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