by Michelle Willson, Feature/Entertainment Editor
Cherokee High School students wowed their audience with an amazing performance of the “Old Man and The Old Moon”.
The story follows the old man who has the job of refilling the moon every day. He fails to keep his promises to his wife about going on an adventure and she leaves him. He then spends the play chasing her and, in the end, regains the memories that he had lost over time.
The Cherokee High School students gave a performance that would be expected from professionals.
Their acting told the story in a clear and concise manner. Their accents were authentic, and they were able to switch between characters with ease, which can difficult even for trained actors.
The Cherokee High School theater is proof you don’t need big, expensive sets and props to tell a good story in a great way. All you need is good actors who mesh well and lots of dedication.
The props included basketballs as cannon balls, empty bottles and mop heads that made a dog puppet and canes as swords.
Yet they used them in a way that never took attention away from the plot and never left you wishing the props were more realistic.
Acting aside, the set was simple yet eloquent. It gave the illusion of a boat without having a physical boat on stage.
The actor’s movements helped transition the set between scenes and helped portray the images on stage.
The use of the lights, or lack thereof, gave the illusion of time passing, storms brewing and the use of flashlights gave the stage a unique look.
Last but not least, the shadow puppets told the story and helped move the plot along while giving the audience all the information they needed. I was mesmerized by the detail in the shadows.
Two years ago I watched their 2017 winner “Peter and The Star Catcher”, so I walked into the auditorium on Saturday with extremely high expectations, all of which were met and exceeded.
I don’t have a bad thing to say about the performance so I give Cherokee High School a 5 out of 5 for their performance of “The Old Man and The Old Moon”