By Zach Stubblefield ‘15

The autumn play, “Cinderella,” was a huge success. It was shown on November 14, 15, 21 and 22. Despite its origins as a simple children’s tale, the cast managed to spice it up with some clever dialogue, special effects and great set pieces.

The cast did a great job of keeping the audience engaged throughout the play. The stepsisters (seniors Nicole Lado and Sophie Mezebish) and stepmother (senior Jessi Alperin) stole the show. They did a superb job of bickering and babbling whenever they were on stage. It was a joy to watch them argue with each other and watch their comical attempts at being graceful.

Another standout was Prince Charming’s (senior Will Goniprow) right hand man, Lionel (junior Joseph Hunt). He was often the voice of reason throughout the play, and he usually got a lot of flak when he used that voice with Cinderella’s whimsical family. Also, it goes without saying that all of the singing parts in the musical were fantastic.

The tech crew made sure the special effects used in the show were top notch. The light work was especially noteworthy. The crew went beyond using simple techniques to show characters on the stage; they used lights to enhance the overall experience. The light work was really on display during the ball scene. The tech crew made the iconic clock out of lights which was much better than finding a regular old grandfather clock to do the job. Another thing that stood out was the fairy god mother’s magic. I was flabbergasted as smoke started filling the stage when she started using her magic and Cinderella come out in full regalia when the smoke dispersed. The transition was so smooth I forgot I was watching a high school play for a second. Overall, the tech crew did a great job of making the play look professional.

The play also had some killer set pieces. Many seemed average at first, but when one starts noticing all the little details put into them, the sets start to show how magnificent they really are. Whether it was the fire place lighting up, the mural in Cinderella’s house being an actual picture of her dysfunctional step family, or the pumpkin outside the ball room after Cinderella leaves prematurely, the small touches of detail really helped elevate the set pieces.

I feel sorry for all the Sherwood students who didn’t take time out of their schedules to see this year’s fall production, because they missed a helluva show. Rock ‘n’ Roll has to be great this year if it plans to meet the standard Andrew Dodge, the play’s director, has set with his fantastic rendition of “Cinderella.”