This year’s fall play will be based on the stop-motion film Fantastic Mr. Fox, being performed on November 14th, 15th and 16th. The movie follows a mischievous fox whose life is occupied by his wife and kid, but he approaches a mid-life crisis at the realization that he is near the age his father died, and decides to turn back to his life of crime one last time. His community is targeted by the local farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean, after they realize their little “fox problem.” Our school’s student director, Harrison Gowell, explains his thought process behind the choosing of the play and cast and what he hopes to accomplish:
Harrison is a senior at WHS, and has been in theater since 8th grade, playing many known roles; his favorite being Arthur Roeder from last year’s fall play, Radium Girls. Although he’s a phenomenal actor, his true passion is in directing and film making. Since Harrison grew up surrounded by a mixture of genres for cinema from his grandfather and dad, he took an interest in filming movies around the ages of four and five. With his adoration for directing, he hopes to get valuable experience out of his job this year’s play. He mentions in an interview, “I just hope I leave this experience feeling proud of my work, and knowing that this is something I would pursue for a career.”
Selecting Fantastic Mr. Fox was a difficult decision to make for Harrison as he originally suggested the movie during his Sophomore year but understood how difficult it was to bring the movie to life. This type of play is new for the school, something a bit more out of the ordinary, just as Radium Girls was last year. Yet, this year’s difference is simply a portrayal of animals who act human, which is beyond difficult with the caution of not acting too animalistic but not entirely human. The movie contains characters with many different personalities, which captivates watchers, including the student director, who says he has a “deep attachment to the film.”
The casting of the characters was exceptionally difficult for Harrison due to the auditions going beyond well for all the students. He mentioned how on the Thursday before the cast list was sent out, he sat on his living room floor with the audition form papers scattered around him, attempting to envision each character with a person. The final cast list ended as: Mr. Fox played by Caleb McGaffey-Schipul, Mrs. Fox by Kiley Pienczykowski, Ash by Aiden Poley, Kristofferson by Cassius Pawloski, Kylie by Mark Delorenzo, Boggis by Sara Mcgowan, Bunce by Alex Taylor, And Bean by Mark Albino.
For the play, Harrison is keen to see it all come together in the end, saying that the cast is “a passionate group of people” and how far along they are making the set, with ideas from everyone for posters and set props. Although he’s beyond nervous that people will not enjoy the experience and will dislike the show, as many did after past plays directed by students, this year’s cast has been much friendlier and more open to criticism from Harrison as compared to other years.
Get ready for Fantastic Mr. Fox on the Watertown High School auditorium’s stage! Make sure to see the fall play and support the Theater Program!
