Please note: As a parody of the horror genre, "Horror Town" is a mystery-comedy intended for teen and adult audiences. While there is nothing gruesome or violent in the show, younger children may not understand its premise or recognize references to classic horror films.
Horror Town: A True Collaboration
By Emma Cole, CHS Journalism Student
"Horror Town" is a one-act play by Ian McWethy, and it is being student-produced by two classes at Cloverleaf High School. The story is cleverly written and a spoof on several classic horror movies. The students picked the play, cast it, directed it, put together the lights and sound, collected props, and built the set for this production.
The One-Act Play Experience class is taught by John Carmigiano and the Stage Crafting class is taught by Greg Valent.
The student co-directors, Cloverleaf seniors Briana Barnes and Sal Ward, are having fun with the show, but are also stressed with making sure all of the details are covered.
“It’s stressful but fun at the same time,” Barnes said. “Stressful because the tiny details are important and fun because being creative and putting things together is very exciting.”
“Being a student director is very fun and stressful at the same time,” Ward said. “I enjoy getting to act and seeing all of our hard work come together piece by piece. Helping to direct a show has been one of my biggest theater dreams, and it's truly amazing to finally have it happen. I hope that our show will inspire more people to join this class or drama in the future.”
The advisors are also excited to see the play come together and always interested in seeing the students come up with something cool.
“Yes, I am excited,” Carmigiano said. “It is a very unique class where the students are asked to be creative and really drive the direction of the play. Many are young and new to this, but always bring a different perspective which is cool.”
The advisors are also excited to see the set-building come together.
“Yes, I am very excited to see how it all comes together,” Valent said. “The students in my Stage Crafting class have been working very hard on putting together the sets. All of the coordination, planning, and creativity coming together in the final construction of all the sets is very exciting!”
The actors are super-excited to perform their parts. They have been working with the lines and characters since mid-September.
“I am so excited for this play,” freshman Meera Shivnarine said. “I love all the scenes that I’m involved in, and everyone has been doing their best! I am so ready, minus the fact my outfit changes are literally one line away (very tight window of time), but other than that, yes, super-ready!”
This is not the first one-act play the students have collaborated on. Last year, they produced the show, "Her Senior Year," together.
The One-Act Play class includes Barnes, Ward, Shivnarine, Sophia Homyk, Bella Walker, August Quinones, Chloe Daduros, Paisley Spencer, Heather Piasecki, Riley Johnson, James Osborne, Kaiden Leonti, Preston Beaver and David-Micheal Smith.
The One-Act Play class gained permission from the writer, McWethy, to add their own scene to the show, and decided to write in a transition scene to allow one of the actors to play two different villains in a tight window.
“The students did a great job coming up with a scene based on The Ring, and allowing the play to continue more easily,” Carmigiano said. “It was definitely cool to allow our students some creativity.”
The Stage Crafting class includes Dayton Clutter, Quinn Conley, Alana Eskins, Landon Huth, Jason Matheny, Wyatt Phalsgraff, Allen Preiss, Cayden Quander, Liberty Robbins, Everett Ryncarz, Baileena Vitas and Jacob Workman.
Admission to "Horror Town" is free, and the show will be presented at the Cloverleaf Center for the Performing Arts. There will be a public performance on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. and a school performance on Nov. 19 at 10 a.m.