By Michael Pedro
The Stageless Players are holding their annual musical in mid-April. They’ve been on a stretch of horror musicals as of late, and that trend continues with Carrie. The stage musical, based on a Stephen King novel, focuses on themes of religious fanaticism, abuse-related trauma, bullying, and most importantly, horror. The cast is especially excited for this play, as they’ve poured their hearts and souls into every note and motion. The musical also happens to coincide with the Stageless Players’ fiftieth anniversary celebrations, making for a unique and exciting air around production at large. Several members of the cast had a lot to say about the play itself.
Kyla Buckley, a junior, is playing Carrie White, the lead role in the play. It’s one of Buckley’s most prominent roles thus far, and she’s got the resume to back it up. “Our director, Kevin (Tracy), is so good, and… playing the lead is very fun, and I really enjoy doing it,” Buckley said. “This is a really talented cast, and I really think it is going to be one of Stageless’ best shows.” Red Pintek, a freshman who is part of the ensemble, is excited in particular for the story’s climax. “You have to see it for the Destruction sequence at the very end, when… what happens, happens,” Pintek began. “We put a lot of effort into that, and it’s super gory and cool.” Junior Anthony D’Antonio, who plays Tommy Ross, is excited in particular for the music. “I loved learning the opening number, [and] ‘The World According to Chris’ looks really good… really excited about that.”
Junior Sophia Tomko, who plays Sue Snell, is in her first-ever Stageless Players production. She has enjoyed getting to know her castmates and is looking forward to the musical. She has enjoyed “working with Anthony (D’Antonio). He plays my boyfriend in the show.” Tomko also enjoys “learning our (her and Anthony’s) choreography together and singing together…” On the more seasoned end of the Stageless spectrum, senior Joshua Farrell is entering his final show with the Stageless Players. A veteran member of the club, Farrell has held numerous lead roles, including Jack Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest and Sweeney Todd in the musical of the same name. This year, Farrell is taking a slightly smaller role, playing Billy Nolan. “It’s been my smallest part in a musical in terms of the amount of lines I have, so it’s given me a lot more time to find myself within the character and the lines and really put my all into the different scenes,” Farrell began. “This is a very fun show to go out on, it’s still a dark and heavy show, but I’m playing a fun role in it where I get to enjoy it.”
If you’re interested in checking out the play, tickets are on sale now on Western New England University’s University Tickets website. It’s sure to be a night you’ll never forget, so check it out during one of the four performances held on Friday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, April 18 at 2:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 19 at 2:00 p.m.
