Community invited to a dinner, show at LRHS

The LRHS drama production of Agatha Rex: A Comedy in Two Acts will be performed Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Ritzville Grade School.

All community members are invited to experience the new rendition of a Greek tragedy and support LRHS drama students.

Tickets purchased in advance cost $5 for adults and $3 for students age preschool through 18. At the door, adult tickets are $7 and students are $5.

To purchase tickets in advance, LRHS drama teacher Allison Nichols can be contacted at 659-1720 or [email protected].

For community members interested in dinner and a show, a spaghetti dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. in the Ritzville Grade School cafeteria. The menu includes homemade spaghetti, salad, and bread. Each plate will cost $10, with proceeds contributing to the Washington, D.C., trip.

Again, community members are encouraged to participate as $1,000 to $1,500 will need to be raised to support the trip this March.

In a description of Agatha Rex, actor Caden Liberty explained, “The play is a new take on an old Greek tale that tells a story of sticking up for what you believe in and everyone can relate to it in their own way.”

Liberty adds, “It will also provide some great entertainment with what our class has been working hard on to put together.”

Throughout the semester, Nichols noted that the each student has been improving their voice (pitch, tempo and volume), facial expressions, and body movement, all while learning about the structure of Greek tragedy. Other skills cultivated for the production include choral speaking and memorizing dialogue.

Nichols explained, “My favorite part of putting on a production like this is watching my drama students shine on stage. I have some incredibly talented student actors and am excited for them to have the opportunity to demonstrate their artistic talents to a larger audience.”

“I absolutely love sharing in their success,” she added.

“My favorite part of performing,” Liberty explained, “is being able to create and display a story for people.”

Jessa Hoeft shares in Libety’s passion for theater. “I always enjoy drama because in that class you can always be yourself.”

Productions like Agatha Rex are something Liberty plans on continuing beyond the stage of Ritzville Grade School.

Liberty explained, “I would definitely like to continue with drama after high school in some way. I greatly enjoy performing and the technical aspects of theatre, so I would enjoy pursuing it in the future.”

The passion associated with drama is not without its challenges.

Hoeft continued, “My biggest challenge would probably be just the crunch time leading up to the show. It gets kind of stressful, but it’s still so fun.”

Weather is also an obstacle: “We have lost rehearsal time due to school closures and late starts, and I am hoping the weather will cooperate with us [on the night of the show]” Nichols explained.

Everyone involved in the production encourage friends, family, and community members to attend the dinner and performance.

Hoeft advocated for the play, “It’s an awesome comedy production that has a good moral to the story. It would be a good play for the family. It’s also something that people could come to see to support the school and the students that have worked hard.”

Similarly, Nichols concluded, “If you are looking for an entertaining evening, this is your opportunity. The actors have been working hard in preparation for this production, and are ready to share the humorous tale of conformity vs. individuality and the quest for justice.”