Crown Point High School (CPHS) Theatre showcased a theatrical adaptation of a classic young adult novel on Friday, March 8, with their performance of “The Giver.” Adapted by Eric Coble from Lois Lowry’s famous dystopian novel, the show depicts a flat, colorless world without any choice.
“The Giver” is heavy and mature in its themes, with a dramatic presentation and high stakes for the cast – a big shift from CPHS’s fall musical, “Mary Poppins.” Assistant director Jill Ryan said she was excited to challenge the students, and that they responded well.
“It’s more dramatic, it’s such a stark contrast but it teaches us valuable lessons about life,” she said. “I think the kids have done really well. They’ve been pushed to be vulnerable in ways that they haven’t been before on stage. We’re so proud of them for experiencing those new things on stage.”
With an abundance of talented thespians, CPHS Theatre opted to run a split-cast show. Two different casts each perform a number of shows, with some major roles being filled by two students. Jonas, the main character of “The Giver” was played by Olivia Giaretta on opening night.
“I was really excited to do this show, I read the book a couple of times in middle school and was a big fan,” Giaretta said. “It’s a more intense show than what we’ve had recently. It’s a lot more character work instead of things like choreography or singing.”
“The Giver’s” story is driven by Jonas’ gradual exposure to things the world has deprived everyone of, both pain and suffering, as well as true joy and happiness – as well as his discovery of the horrors hidden beneath the surface of the setting.
“What’s important about Jonas is his curiosity and maturity throughout, from a young child growing into a mature kid who has all these memories of pain,” said Ryan Welsh, Jonas’ other actor. “He’s really trying to better the community.”
Welsh and Giaretta are both veteran performers, with a number of CPHS productions under their belts, but admitted that “The Giver” posed a challenge.
“This is my first lead, so not only did I have to learn all these lines, I had to do it going from a happy show like ‘Mary Poppins,’ Welsh said. “Having to portray emotions like pain and fear has definitely been challenging, but the directors have been very helpful and we’ve put together a good show.”
Giaretta shared similar sentiments and also tackled the opening night butterflies to put on a strong performance.
“I feel like we’ve come together really well,” Giaretta said. “Usually there’s a point where we’re kind of wondering where we’re at with a show, but this time I feel like we’ve had steady progress. I’ve had a really good time working with everybody in the cast. I’m really excited and really, really nervous. This is the biggest role I’ve ever played and I’m on stage basically the whole time, but we’ve rehearsed a lot and worked hard.”
Performances of “The Giver” are on March 9 and 16 at 7 p.m., as well as March 10, 16, and 17 at 2 p.m. For more information or to buy tickets, visit sites.google.com/cps.k12.in.us/cphstheatre.