Going places during these times has become more difficult with all of the limitations; therefore, having the option to go out has become more precious, which means when given the chance, everyone should do it.  A great option for this would be the upcoming musical, Annie, which will be performed by Lancaster High School students on March 26th and 27th of 2021. There are two options for anyone to view these upcoming artists: in-person (limited seating/reserved), and on-demand.

Many know the story of Annie, but here is a short summary for those who may not: In the 1930s, Annie, a fiery young orphan girl must live in a miserable orphanage run by the tyrannical, Miss Agatha Hannigan. Her hopeless situation changes dramatically when she is selected to spend a short time at the residence of the wealthy munitions industrialist, Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. She charms the hearts of the household staff and even the seemingly cold-hearted Warbucks cannot help but learn to love her. He decides to help Annie find her long-lost parents by offering a reward if they would come to him and prove their identity. However, Miss Agatha Hannigan, her evil brother, Daniel Francis “Rooster” Hannigan, and a female accomplice plan to impersonate those people to get the reward for themselves, which puts Annie in great danger.

On top of their school-work, the students have rehearsed diligently in order to bring this to life for the community. Benjamin Jurecki joined the LHS drama club about 2 years ago.

“Drama is quite a huge commitment, and this does mean that you have to be careful with how you get your work done. The easiest way to do this, at least for me, is to put school work as the #1 priority outside of drama. Only after the necessary school work is done do I focus on anything else,” said Jurecki.

Drama like most extracurricular activities requires balance and focus. 

“Everyone works incredibly hard to keep the club going and even if we have our trials and tribulations, we all work through it in the end,” said Overby.

The two LCS drama club members were also asked what they liked about Drama especially because it is such a huge commitment. 

“This club feels like a family and I am so grateful that drama and theatre as a whole are a huge part of my life,” said Overby.

This idea seems to be the consensus with most if not all of the club’s members. Jurecki has worked on the stage and behind the scenes helping build the set for each show. 

“I really enjoy drama because it is a place where we all have fun. Everyone in the cast and crew works together to create this amazing show, and don’t get me wrong it is a lot of work, but we all have fun doing it together.”Those working together to make this show put their hearts and time into making a Broadway-level show for the Lancaster community so it means a lot to them when others take the time to watch their performances. They will perform in-person for a limited audience due to the pandemic but they also offer on-demand performances for about 2 weeks after the in-person show so that everyone can have the opportunity to watch all of the hard work put together. Jurecki feels it is worth it and commented,

“Drama is fun; it teaches great teamwork skills and if you are to join, you will instantly have a community of friends and family.”

Overby feels similar and would love to see people enjoy the show.

“I never thought that I would come to love Annie as much as I did. This show is incredibly iconic and the material is absolutely addicting. The younger kids we work with are amazingly talented. The songs are super fun to sing and the show will leave you laughing-out-loud at one point, and then, crying at another.”

The in-person show will take place on March 26 and 27, 2021 at 6:30 PM and the on-demand options will begin on April 10 through May 18, 2021. Tickets will be available online only and the hyperlinks to both venues will be accessible on the school’s drama club website. To get to the Drama website, people can scan the QR code:

Eye of the Gale Note:  Thank you, Ms. Cupeles, for being the Eye of the Gale guest staff writer this month.  We appreciate your writing style and for contributing the photographs and QR code for this feature on the LHS Drama Club.