End of the Line for Peabody High Drama Club in Weston

The Stage One cast and crew won individual awards again in semi-final competition, but won't advance to the final round of the DramaFest this year to defend their title.

[The following was submitted by Casey Roland on behalf of the drama club at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School.] Stage One's "Night Train to Bolina" will not be moving on to the finals in Boston. The students will still be traveling to Boston, however, to host since they were one of the top three schools last year. That being said, they earned some individual awards, a few of them for the second week in a row!

• Photos (1)

Stage One Performs 'Night Train to Bolina'

Due to the blizzard, last Friday's scheduled performance "Night Train to Bolina" was rescheduled to Feb. 15. There will be two performances: one with principal actors and one with understudies.

'Legally Blonde' Takes Center Stage Tonight

The high school drama club Stage One opens "Legally Blonde, the Musical" tonight. Additional performances are scheduled Friday and Saturday.

It's for another spring musical at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School. The school drama club, Stage One, opens "Legally Blonde, the Musical" Thursday night. Curtain time Thursday is 7 p.m., which is also a student discount night. Two more shows are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. as well. A number of the cast members in this musical were also instrumental in bringing home a state title for Stage One and PVMHS earlier this spring in the state drama festival. Peabody was one of three schools to share the title after the final round with its production of "Alchemy of Desire/Dead Man's Blues." "Legally Blonde, the Musical" is directed by Richard Carey. Click here for the complete cast and crew list. Tickets are $12 each night …

• Photos (6)

Peabody High Theater Troupe Wins Big at DramaFest 2012

Peabody High was one of three winners in the final round of the state high school drama festival this weekend.

Peabody High's theater troupe pulled out all the stops this weekend in Boston for the state high school drama festival finals and it paid off. Peabody, along with Westford Academy and St. John's Prep, were selected by festival judges as the winners of DramaFest 2012. It's just the third state trophy Peabody Veterans Memorial High School has won since its drama club, Stage One, was founded in 1970. The judges also recognized the Peabody troupe with awards in stage management, checking and acting for all cast members. "I am still in total shock. I cannot comprehend the fact that we just won the whole festival." said Rosalie Calder Sunday evening. "Seeing the trophy and holding it in our hands, Even with our name on it, I still cannot believe…

• Photos (17)

Peabody High Thespians Make it to State Final

Stage One is taking its student production to the final round in the state high school drama festival.

The team of young thespians making up Peabody High's drama club, Stage One, took top billing in Ipswich on Saturday to advance to the final round in the 81st Annual Mass. High School Drama Festival. Stage One is peforming "Alchemy of Desire/Dead Man's Blues" this year for the festival. The production is directed by 2005 PVMHS grad and Stage One alum Stephanie Manning. The Peabody players, who competed against Salem, Ipswich, Winthrop, Malden and Acton-Boxborough, also came home from the semi-final round this weekend with individual awards for excellence: Peabody will be joined at the Back Bay Events Center (the old John Hancock Hall) in Boston, March 22-24, by fellow state finalists Danvers, St. Mary's High School, St. John's Prep, …

• Photos (1)

Stage One Takes 'Alchemy of Desire' to Next Round

Peabody's entry in the state high school drama festival has made it to the semi-final round this Saturday.

After a successful performance Saturday at Chelmsford High School, Peabody High thespians (Stage One) move on to the semi-final round of competition in the state drama festival on March 10. This time, the Peabody players peform "Alchemy of Desire/Dead Man's Blues" a bit closer to home – over at Ipswich High School. Peabody has the 10:30 a.m. slot, right behind Salem High, which performs "Postponing the Heat Death of the Universe." The Peabody production is directed by 2005 PVMHS grad and Stage One alum Stephanie Manning. “The preliminary round…was a great experience, we received awards in acting, stage management, set design, sound design and ensemble. It was a great night and the whole company is really ecstatic that we are moving on,” …

• Photos (2)

Weekend Highlight

Stage One Explores 'Alchemy of Desire' and 'Dead Man's Blues'

The Stage One drama club is putting on its newest production this weekend: "Alchemy of Desire/Dead Man's Blues," which will be the school's official entry into the Mass. Drama Festival.

Peabody High thespians will perform their next production this weekend as they prepare for the annual state drama festival this spring. Stage One, the school drama club, will present the one-act play "Alchemy of Desire/Dead Man's Blues" Friday and Saturday alongside a to be announced one-act performance by students in an advanced drama course at PVMHS. Tickets are $5 at the door. Richard Carey will direct the latter piece while 2005 Peabody grad and Stage One alum Stephanie Manning takes the reins on the official entry into the drama festival. "Alchemy of Desire/Dead Man's Blues" is written by Caridad Svich and set in the present-day Southern Bayou about a young widow, Simone, who recently lost her husband in a war. The play follows Simone…

• Photos (1)

Peabody High Drama Club Mystifies in 'The Sparrow'

Former Peabody resident Scott Olivolo shares his thoughts on the recent production by the high school drama club Stage One.

On Nov. 18-19, Mr. Richard Carey directed Peabody High School’s debut performance of “The Sparrow,” which kept audiences completely engaged for nearly two hours. As a child of the 80s, I could not resist making the symbolic mental connection between the lead character, Emily Book (played by Erica Risti), and Stephen King’s 1976 classic “Carrie,” especially in the gym scene where the girls are told about getting detention or refusal of their prom tickets. In stark contrast to feelings of fear and horror in "Carrie," however, "The Sparrow" uses dance to tell the story of a girl who returns to her home town several years after a train/bus accident (where she was the sole survivor), which claimed the lives of her classmates. This play does not…

• Photos (1)

Stage One Performs 'The Sparrow' This Weekend

Peabody High's drama club puts on its first ever performance of "The Sparrow" this weekend.

Peabody High's thespian club, Stage One, is giving its debut performance of "The Sparrow" this weekend. The play written by Chris Mathews and Jake Minton, about a young teenage girl, has lead character Emily Book returning to her hometown 10 years after a tragic event. Emily will be played by Erica Risti. According to Matt Mogavero, the vice president for Stage One and a cast member for the play, the fast-paced show will "have you on a rampant train ride the whole time." He said the show is centered around themes of forgiveness and hope. Performances are Nov. 18-19 at 7 p.m. at PVMHS. Tickets are $10 at the door. "'The Sparrow' is different from anything I have ever done before. It is a unique show, filled with wonder, song, dance and …

• Photos (1)