Jeff Evans and Jeff Rockhill traverse a piece of their Bye Bye Birdie set construction. Photo by Wende Carr
For three months, Town of Webb School drama students have been rehearsing with play directors Valerie Gaudin and Ann DeFilipps for the March 15 and 16 production of Bye Bye Birdie.
Active behind the scenes building sets for the play are contractors Jeff Evans and Jeff Rockhill. According to Gaudin they have been giving their weekends and some weekday afternoons to complete their task.
Also volunteering his time and talent in painting sets is area artist Shannon Grover.
“Their generosity is overwhelming. All of a sudden, there’s this interior of a house, with kitchen, livingroom and a staircase. I think the stairs are better than those in my house. There’s an upstairs bedroom with a window, and the train,” Gaudin said.
Gaudin also extended high praise to co-director DeFilipps.
“Ann is a natural talent on the stage. She’s got a good eye for things, and a good sense of how things are done for the stage. She guides the actors well and has great relationships with them,” she said.
Diane Amos, Health and Family Consumer Science teacher at Webb, is volunteering as costumer designer, and also doing a tremendous job, Gaudin said.
As students have worked on the play these past three months, Gaudin said she has seen tremendous growth among them in areas of confidence, stage presence, participation and attitude.
Gaudin is responsible for the revival of the big school musicals at Webb. Since 2006 she has produced a performance every year except for one.
Bye Bye Birdie has been performed at the school twice previously—in 1966 and 1993.
Gaudin recently acquired a program from the 1966 performance and remarked on the number of student actors who continue to live and work in the area.
Among the cast were Marcia Deno Barker, Joan Hall Tormey, Bruce Tormey, John Leach, Judy Leach Wengert, Debi Ritz and Leon Davis.
Midge Daiker, Al Stripp and Betty Harwood were on the production staff and Judy Barker accompanied vocalists on piano.
Pete Gaffney, Scott Delmarsh, Beth Newton Russell and Lauren “Pinky” Gaudin Rivett were members of the stage crew.
Performances of Bye Bye Birdie will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. at the school gym.
Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors (62+) and $5 for students.
