This fall, the theatre department is presenting Lord of the Flies.

The story was adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams. Past productions have been lighter, with the more morbid aspects hidden by humor. Do not expect these actors to have the audience dying with  laughter. This version is very serious.

The cast is a mixture of students, many making their debut on the Rocky stage along with some veteran actors. While there are female performers in the production, there are no female characters. The high school students will transform themselves into boys between the ages of six and twelve to portray all the boys in the story. The leads are played by Quinn Schulte as Ralph, Soren Ostergren as Piggy, and Kendrick Sean as Jack.

“This show really pushes me because I play a 12 year-old boy,” says senior Schulte. “Obviously I don’t have experience with that. It really pushes me to analyze what a 12-year old boy thinks and feels.”

The technical crew is a crucial part of the show. Without them, there would not be a set, costumes, lighting, sound, or anything. Some students are working tech in addition to performing on stage. For example, sophomore Olivia Fondy plays a tribesperson and works in the costume department.

“I’m trying to really work on the whole aspect of color schemes,” says Fondy.“It is very important to have the extreme distinctions between the two groups and one way you can do that is through costuming and color.”

The set will be quite elaborate and includes the nose of a plane, a running waterfall, a mountain, and other things to transport the scenes to a tropical island.

Lord of the Flies is directed by drama teacher Elissa Larkin. Her assistant director is senior Ashley Perez.

“It’s going to be a great time,” says senior Kendrick Sean, “and we have a lot of people who are doing a lot of hard work to make this happen.”

Lord of the Flies will premiere on the Rocky stage October 28th-29th and November 4th-5th. All performances are at 7:00 p.m. Prices are $9 for adults, $8 for students, and $7 for seniors and kids under 12. Staff is free. Come out and support these Rocky Thespians!