Murder, nuns, self-discovery, and music. Do any of these words peak your interest? If so, satisfy your curiosity by watching The Oak Lawn Theater Program’s adaptation of Sister Act.
Follow Deloris Van Cartier, played by senior Jayla Clark, a nightclub singer that witnesses a murder committed by her boyfriend, Curtis, played by Henry Evers. This incident forces Deloris into a witness protection program, interestingly, as a nun , to prevent Curtis from murdering her as well. During her time as a nun, Deloris is determined to help the church reach success by teaching the nuns how to sing and enjoy life within the church. Watch as Deloris, a sassy outspoken diva, finds herself within the restrictive bounds of the church.
So why did Ms. Elliott choose this musical specifically? Ms. Elliott was considering the recurrent students in the program, thinking of their personalities and vocal talents. She wanted to make sure that the seniors were going to be able to show off their talents before taking their leave.
Although the musical is a comedy, there are some aspects that are important for the audience to pick up on. These aspects of the musical, according to the performers and Ms. Elliott, make the musical important and worth watching. Here are some thoughts shared by some of the performers:
Senior Jayla Clark shares, “I think a lot of people can really reflect on that, despite who you are and despite what situation you are in, you can still embrace and be yourself at the same time.”
Clark is no stranger to lead roles when it comes to musicals as her strong yet sweet voice always stands out in the most pleasant way. Although music doesn’t seem to be her main career path after high school, she does hope to continue at least a little in college.
Junior Henry Evers expresses his excitement for playing his role,”I do like playing him, my last few roles in The Oak Lawn Theater Program have been relatively heroic so it’s always nice to see a flip on that.”
Evers may not relate to his character, Curtis, but he is really excited to show how versatile he can be by playing a character that is more of a villain than a hero.
Senior Francesca Crosby who plays Mother Superior adds,”This musical is a great way to show everybody how well we can do things. We put so much hard work and effort into it, and I’d like to show that off to people.”
Crosby has played more bubbly characters in the past, she expresses her excitement in playing a more serious and stern role by playing it well.
Senior Maggie Sheehan plays Sister Mary Robert, a young nun within the convent, relates to her character,”Going into the process of applying to college, I need to figure out myself, similar to how she has to figure out what she wants to do with her life.”
Many seniors this year can relate to Shein’s description of what she has to do this year, applying for colleges and finding who you are. Figuring out these things can be difficult, maybe watching this musical and can help some seniors going through what Shein is.
Now that we’ve gone through why some performers think this musical is important, lets see what Ms. Elliott thinks.
“Sometimes you put yourself in a box, and you think you only exist in this one world, but as soon as you find yourself outside of your comfort zone and realize that there’s so much more out there for you to be a part of, is when you really find who you truly are.”
Ms. Elliott’s take on what makes the musical important is touching and wise, she truly feels passionate about what she does for the program and her students, and it shows through her effort and dedication to her craft.
You’ll enjoy watching this musical because the students and Ms.Elliott have been working hard to show you what they can do. Stop by the PAC on November 1-3 to watch The Oak Lawn Theater Program’s adaptation of Sister Act.
