RMS drama group set to open new season
Russellville Middle School students are now in the process of rehearsing and memorizing lines as their premier theater performance inches closer.
The RMS drama will kickoff their theater season with a comedic, one-act play entitled “Archie of the Amazon” on September 23 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
RMS drama teacher Patrice Smith said the show has a “George of the Jungle” vibe and will be a good start for this year’s new members.
Smith said the show is about a film producer trying to cast for a movie, Archie of the Amazon. He can’t find anyone good enough so he goes to the jungle to find a jungle man he’s heard his secretary talk about.
“It’s really funny,” she said. “We rehearse during 5th period every day and the students seem to feel more comfortable with the script a little each day.”
Smith believes going ahead and jumping into a one-act skit will serve as a stepping-stone as her students grow into stars throughout the year.
“It’s a good thing to go ahead and get the students started right off the bat with a performance that is something fun, something funny and that audiences are sure to enjoy,” she said. “We have 26 students cast in this play and both I and the students are eager to start getting lines down pat to put on a fantastic performance.”
Smith said she has only one returning drama student from last year’s group, so there will be a lot of new faces displaying their talents this season.
“Last year’s response from the public was wonderful,” she said. “We had folks coming from everywhere to be entertained by our kids. There was a huge desire to see our kids perform in this capacity and we hope to see the same if not a bigger response this year because people are always searching for something different and I think that is what we offer.”
Smith said there are many things that tend to be stressful this day and age and that the performances serve as an escape for people to come and be entertained for an evening.
Smith said this year’s performance schedule will include seven shows including a Halloween spectacular, a Veteran’s Day performance, a Christmas show and an “outside of the box” spring show that is being kept a secret for now.
Smith said the RMS drama team will be performing with the RMS show choir and RHS show choir for the Christmas extravaganza show.
“We try to out-do ourselves every year,” Smith said. “We do more and more with sets, lighting, creative projects and enhance performances with every season. There is a lot in-store this year and I believe many people will be surprised with some of our show choices this year, especially the one coming in the spring. I’m excited and I am really looking forward to having a wonderful year.”
