NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Drury Arts Department will bring "Guys and Dolls" to the stage this week.
Director Kate Caton said more than 100 students are involved in the musical, and it will encompass the whole department.
"You have to find the perfect cast and we got together with the students in June after the 'Music Man' and we did a pre-audition and there was a huge interest from everyone," Caton said. "When I was a kid in 7th grade I saw "Guys and Dolls" at my high school and I loved it. I thought it would be the perfect high school musical."
The musical, written by Frank Loesser in 1950, takes place in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s and follows gambler Nathan Detroit on his quest to find $1,000 to pay a garage owner to host an illegal craps game. In order to fund this game, he bets fellow gambler Sky Masterson $1,000 that Sky cannot convince the religious Sarah Brown to go out on a date with him.
Caton said the whole production is student driven, onstage and off, and goes beyond just the theater class.
The entire Drury band will provide music along with members of the chorus.
The Performing Arts Management students facilitated the production and technical aspects of the show, along with the advertisement.
Caton said the art and construction students were even involved and helped design the set.
The department-wide focus on production has really changed the way the students interact and has expanded what the students can produce, she said.
"When I came on board three years ago I saw that we had a construction class, music classes, and art classes and I thought we should do this as a department," Caton said. "In the past the program involved straight plays and the drama was coming out of the class so the leads were coming out of a class and really not inclusive of everyone."
She added that because of these classes, in which students learn real-world production methods, many students have shown an interest in pursuing the field after high school.
"A lot of the seniors are focusing on the arts and are auditioning for schools whether it be arts, music, or media because of this experience," she said.
Performances are Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 3 to 5, at 7 p.m. in the Drury Performing Arts Center. There will matinee at 2 on Sunday, Dec. 5.
Tickets cost $5 for students and $7 for adults. They can be purchased online or at the door.
Caton promised that the musical will be one to remember.
"We are the only school that has this, and no other school in this area can host a visual media and performance arts spectacle like this," she said. "So come see what we can do here."
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