Save the theater!

It’s show time! The stage is set for this year’s fall play, “The Second Star,” written and directed by BPHS English teacher Mrs. Cortney Williams.

Theatergoers can catch this witty production Nov. 9, 10, and 11 at 7 p.m. in the BPHS auditorium.

The show tells the story of a theater that brings back Broadway star and alumni of the theater Mattie McLinden to save the theater from shutting down. They put together a performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in two weeks in hopes of preventing the shutting down of the theater.

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“The show is full of love and wit!”

— Maggie Babyak

Mrs. Willimas writes the plays so that she can create more characters so that everyone who auditions can perform.

The cast introduces many new faces to the fall play this year, but they also have some returning faces.

Two seniors have been in all four of the shows in their high school years. Alea Taylor (Mattie) and Grace Skalniak (Blanche) feel sentimental over their fourth and final fall play.

When asked how she feels about this being her last fall play, Skalniak said, “I will miss being a part of the fall play family, but I will remember everyone who came before me and all the friends I’ve met through fall play.”

Similar to Skalniak, Taylor will miss the bond within the cast which they refer to as their “fall play family.”

Taylor said: “It’s such a bittersweet moment for me. I remember watching the seniors giving their speeches my freshman year and never imagining that that would soon be me. I love fall play so much. It’s genuinely my favorite part of the school year, and the fact that so many of the underclassmen look up to me and think of me as a mentor figure is just so sweet. I’m so honored. Just thinking about leaving the family we’ve created makes me so sad, but the underclassmen are full of so much potential, and I just know they will bring the passion and love that I’ve had for fall play when I’m gone.”

Here’s the cast of “The Second Star”:

Kate McLinden: Soph Willis
Mattie McLinden: Alea Taylor
Michael Benvolio: Noah Stiglich
Anna: Meredith Myers
Rosalind: Sharlyne Ngige
Blanche Mormont: Grace Skalniak
Toni Blake: Reagan Finnell
Bianca Winterbrooke: Maggie Babyak
Maria: Rylin Celento
Julia: Peyton Michaels
Christopher: Maden Konopka
James: Dylan Lawton
Meg: Sophia Brawner
Nick: Tristan Shay
Portia: Haley Uselman
Frankie: Michaela Gratton
Georgie: August Truver
Jesse: Dylan Quinn
Diana: Maddie Rudolph
Sammy: Kylie Flanigan
Joey: Nick Johnson
William: James Sipe
Viola: Nevi Cardamone
Alex: Charlotte Jaszcar
Reporters: Izabelle Townsend, Elizabeth Mackey, Meg Rabb, Farah Namas, Jordan Campagna

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“Just thinking about leaving the family we’ve created makes me so sad, but the underclassmen are full of so much potential, and I just know they will bring the passion and love that I’ve had for fall play when I’m gone.”

— Alea Taylor

First-year fall play member and senior Dylan Lawton said, “People should see the fall play because it’s really funny and it has a great message about family.”

Third-year fall play member and junior Maggie Babyak encourages people to see the show as she says, “The show is full of love and wit!”

To support the cast and their hard work, you can buy tickets to see the show. They are $5 and can be bought here.

About the Contributors

Meghan DeHaven, Editor-in-Chief

There’s more to Meghan DeHaven than just an award-winning SNO journalist, Meghan dances at Judy Murtaugh Dance Studio, she sings, she's very involved in the spring musical, and she boasts the title of Head Bethette. Meghan got involved in Scholastic Publications in her sophomore year because she had an empty space in her schedule. Three years and one Best of SNO award later, she keeps coming back because she says it’s her favorite part of the school day. Meghan believes that her greatest strength is that she can make people feel comfortable despite the situation. Meghan likes that she “can be serious while making sure that everyone can have a good time.” Meghan gives her mother credit for the person she is today. Meghan says that her friends and family keep her true to herself and remind her to stay true to her dreams. Despite being a huge fan of Ohio State Football, Meghan plans to study social media, public relations, and advertising at Point Park University. After college. Meghan’s dream career is to become a concert photographer and be her own boss. Combining both of the things she loves most, live music and photography, Meghan feels like this would be the perfect fit for her. If Meghan ever needed some time away, her dream vacation would be a cozy cabin retreat to somewhere like Montana or Colorado. That or she would like to travel all across Europe and get out of the United States. But before any of that, Meghan has to take a look at where she started. If she could have given herself some advice ten years ago, Meghan would have told herself to get involved in as many clubs and activities as she possibly can and not to let others' opinions concern her. With her eyes set on her future, Meghan DeHaven can achieve anything she wants with the support of her friends and family. Written By: Zane Antonich, Staff Writer

Alea Taylor, Staff Writer

Senior Alea Taylor is excited to take on her last year of high school, and her first year in Scholastic Publications. Besides journalism, Alea is also involved in Bethettes, musicals, and fall play. Her favorite memory of Bethettes is, “Going to squad dinners, specifically a Harry Potter-themed dinner I had last year.” Alea is a musical star, who played Morticia Addams in the school's musical last year. “It was really nice to play a character who was super known worldwide, it was iconic to play. She’s so funny and deadpan, and also empowering,” she said. Besides playing Morticia, Alea has been in several other musicals. Starting with "Grease," she was a cheerleader and featured dancer. In "Elf Jr.," played Charlotte Dennon. In the show "Mary Poppins Jr.," she was a part of the Jolly Holiday Trio. In "Frozen Jr.," Alea played Snowflake #1 and also was a featured dancer. In "Cinderella," Alea played Madame. Alea also is a part of the fall play club. When asked about her feelings toward the club, Alea said, “Fall Play is my favorite extracurricular activity because the cast is so small that it becomes so intimate and you really get to become part of a family when you do it.” She played Violet in "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which took place in the spring due to Covid-19. Alea played Rheba in “You Can’t Take It With You,” and last fall she played Vivian in "The Last Christmas Radio Show." Alea just auditioned for her final BPHS fall play production. “I used to be really nervous and have a lot of anxiety when I talked to people, so getting on stage, and talking in front of people felt impossible. Eventually, I just decided whatever the outcome is, I am just going to have fun with it, and make memories, so no matter what the outcome was, I would have great memories. That’s how I got my first lead role.” Besides being involved in extracurricular activities, Alea is committed to Slippery Rock University. She is going to be studying elementary education, and special education, as well as minoring in theater arts. She decided to go to Slippery Rock because she loved the campus and the programs they offered. She also loves that they put over $6 million into their theater department. Alea’s favorite class is choir because all of her friends are in her class. If Alea could be any animal, she sees herself being a duck. “The way they walk and the vibe, they are also my favorite animals, and I relate to them on a spiritual level,” Alea said when asked why. Alea’s favorite color is red. “It’s my power color,” she claims. Her favorite features that she has are her smile, hair, and her personality. “I used to not like any parts of myself, but now I love so many parts of myself.” Alea plans on working on the social media aspect of journalism the most. She loves to create videos and take pictures, as she has a natural talent for photography. Written by: Camryn Priddy, Staff Writer

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