Launching the 2019-2020 theater season for Wheaton-Warrenville South, the novice show kicks off this Friday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Sept. 21 in the South Auditorium. Written and directed by Mrs. James as well as student directed by Hannah Belmont, Grace Cornelius and Riley Tomes, this year’s novice show, “Story Time,” is sure to be one for the books. 

Students have been working hard to put this show together and have been meeting since late August for long hours culminating in the exciting and grueling week leading up to the show. Starring freshmen as well as sophomores-seniors new to the theater program, the novice show is a special treat at South, and this year more than ever. “Story Time” is an original musical based on numerous children’s stories including “The Giving Tree”, “Goodnight Moon”, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, “Giraffes Can’t Dance” and other classics. Each story is performed as a vignette, allowing all the students involved to have a chance to showcase their storytelling abilities. 

“‘Story Time’ is different than most of the shows that we usually do because it’s more than one story; it is more interpretative,” Riley Tomes, student director, stated. “I think it’s just a different style of theater that hasn’t been at South for awhile and that’s what makes it so worth seeing.” Tomes is very involved in theater herself and loves being on the other side of the production, watching the actors put their own spin on the show. 

As drama teacher at South, Mrs. James has the privilege of putting on the novice show every year and expressed similar sentiments. Children’s shows “can be so wacky and fun…I always say go big or go home,” James stated. “The bigger the character, the bigger the body movements–there really is no holding back.”

A fun filled musical full of childhood memories, this year’s novice show is sure to warm hearts. Tickets can be purchased for $5 at showtix4u.com and are free for students on Friday night.