After an unplanned hiatus due to the pandemic, the Tallulah Falls School Players returned with a resounding hit staging Dearly Beloved on April 23-24.
Written by John Hope Wooten, the “fast-paced, laugh-a-minute comedy about three feuding sisters trying to pull off an over-the-top wedding” had audiences rolling in the aisle Friday and Saturday night.
The cast and crew consisted of Madison Perdue, Zoja Cerovic, Piper Allen, Ava Wehrstein, Henry Rickman, Amy Henriques, Flannery Hogan, Colton Augustine, Joshua Jackson, Ezekiel Phillips, Erika Wiese, Reagan Brode, Rebecca Heyworth, Savannah Harris, Georgianna Shanks, Mackenzie Johnson, Heron Eaton, and Adam Kennedy.
The elaborate set, including rotating flats, was masterminded by Middle School Fine Arts/Program Coordinator Jonathan Roberts, who worked with the theater class and crew to design and construct the set. The show was directed by theater teacher Jill Hunter.
“This show has been the highlight of the school year,” Hunter said. “It was wonderful to see students back on stage and working together.”
Because of limited seating, the theater department purchased the rights to live-stream the performance.
“I’m thrilled we were able to live stream the show because it allowed students abroad and many more families to see their students onstage,” she said. “Theater students put in months of hard work and planning, and then in a few nights, it is all over. Their work needs to be recognized and celebrated!”
Several of the cast members echoed Hunter’s sentiments about returning to the stage.
“Dearly Beloved was one of my favorite times of this year,” said Rebecca Heyworth. “Everyone was so welcoming, and I am so happy that I could be a part of this lovely cast and crew. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this amazing group of people.”
“Being able to perform this show was some of the most fun I have had at school all year,” said Regan Brode. “Everyone in the cast and crew came together and made the experience extraordinarily memorable.”
“Dearly Beloved has been the best experience I’ve had with theater during all of high school. We worked very hard to make this show happen, and I was pleased with the final result. Practicing, preparing, and working with our cast and crew has been a delight, and we formed strong bonds throughout the process,” said Erika Wiese. “The show itself was loads of fun, and every time we performed, I was less and less nervous. I am so delighted with how this show went; I hope I will have this much fun with shows in the future.”
