Lewis & Clark High School students Elijah Dordahl, Isabelle Parekh and Ella Wissing were in the KPBX studio this morning to talk to E.J. Iannelli about their new production of Mean Girls. The musical opens this week in the LCHS theater and is directed by Greg Pschirrer.
Wissing is playing the lead Cady Heron, a character who transfers to a new high school and has to navigate the social hierarchy. Parekh is playing her "frenemy" Regina George, the leader of a trio of popular girls known as The Plastics. Dordahl's character is Damian Hubbard, an outsider who, along with Janis Sarkisian (played by Jen Nackos), is a wry observer of the school's social dynamics.
The three students talked about their characters and how they're approaching them as actors. Wissing, for example, is subtly mimicking other characters' body language to suggest her own character's desire to fit in.
They also gave some background on how this musical has developed. Lewis & Clark's sixth-period (musical theater) and zero-hour (stagecraft) classes have been working on it for the better part of the academic year. The respective classes are pooling their specialties and their strengths to bring it together.
Parekh, Dordahl and Wissing additionally discussed the set design, which is incorporating projections from the Broadway show, and the choreography, which includes a big tap number with lunch trays. Dordahl gave some details on the 'jazzy' mobility scooter that he rides across the stage during one scene.
Wissing closed the interview by singing the song “Stupid with Love" live in the SPR performance space accompanied by pianist Carolyn Jess.
Mean Girls opens in the Lewis & Clark High School theater this Thursday (Apr. 18) and runs over three performances until April 20.
Tickets and more information are available at the Tiger Drama website.
