Grizzell Middle School Drama Club put on their annual musical at the Abbey Theater March 13-15. The entire cast and crew are Grizzell 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. I went to the Friday evening performance and thought they did an amazing job. The songs were all really well done and it seemed like it all went really smoothly without any mistakes. I interviewed a few of the cast members to learn more about their experiences. 

Millie O’Donnell is a 6th grader and she played the part of a banker and a chimney sweep. 

Reese Trieweiler is a 6th grader and she played the part of Miss Smyth, a customer and a park goer.

Ella Kennedy is an 8th grader and she played the role of Mary Poppins.

What was your favorite thing about being in Mary Poppins? 

Millie - I really liked opening night of the musical. It was amazing seeing the whole thing finally come together.

Reese - My favorite was using different costumes and putting on different make-up looks because it was like being a different person. 

Ella - My favorite part of being in the production of Mary Poppins was the cast, and all the friendships I made.  We all had so much fun throughout all the rehearsals and the shows. 

What was the most difficult thing about being in the play?

Millie - The hardest part was remembering all the song lyrics. It was much harder keeping the songs in my head than the dances.

Reese - Learning the dance moves and the timing of everything was the hardest for me.

Ella - The most difficult thing was learning all the material, things like my lines, songs, and dances. All of it was possible because of our director Miss Krista Pojman, our music director Mrs. Kinn, and our assistant director Mrs. Wyner. They helped us all learn so many of the materials during rehearsals.

Did you have an experience in theater before this? Do you think experience is necessary?

Millie - I didn't have any theater experience prior to Mary Poppins. It was pretty easy to understand how the show worked and what I needed to do. I think that theater experience would have been helpful, but I don't think it is necessary.

Reese - I didn’t have any experience, but it wasn’t hard to catch on. 

Ella - Mary Poppins wasn’t my first show, my first show was Shrek, when I was eight.  In Shrek, I played the part of a bunny, and a Duloc citizen. In the last few years at Grizzell Middle school, my sixth grade production was The Little Mermaid, where I played one of Ariel’s sisters, Alana. In seventh grade, we performed Beauty And The Beast, where I played the role of a narrator. And finally, this year I was Mary Poppins for my eighth grade year!

What advice would you give to someone who was considering trying the musical next year?

Millie - Just try your best. Theater is a really fun experience and is definitely worth trying. Go for it!

Reese - I have a busy schedule with 3 club sports and other school activities, but I will never regret doing the musical. I think it is necessary for anyone who might be even the slightest bit interested. 

Ella - My advice for anyone thinking about doing the play next year is that if you want to be a part of the production, whether it is cast or tech crew, the more people the better, and no matter what you do, the show is so much fun and you won’t regret doing it, so just join in! There is no need for any experience, so even if you have never done a show, you can be a part of the show and have so much fun! 

Most of the students we talked to did not have any drama experience before participating in Mary Poppins and said it wasn’t needed. If you are thinking about giving acting a try, this is a great way to start out. If acting and singing aren’t for you, there are crew positions to help with all parts of putting on a play.