Havoc comes to enchanted land in educator's 22nd production

When Collette Miller joined the faculty at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School, it just seemed natural that she would continue a long-established tradition of producing and directing an eighth-grade play.

After all, Miller was already involved with the Aiken Community Playhouse and had directed plays as a teacher at St. Angela Academy.

Her first St. Mary production took place in 1988. Miller is directing her 22nd production, "Mirror Image: A Real Enchanted Musical," this week at the school auditorium. The final performance is today at 7:30 p.m.

"It's a challenge every year because half the cast members have never performed before," Miller said. "But it's so much fun to give them a chance because they may not have the opportunity to do it again."

She found the musical at Pioneer Drama Service, which she often uses. The company offers a number of plays that are easier for young students and have relatively simple sets.

Nevertheless, "Mirror Image" is indeed a full-blown musical with a large cast and lots of songs. The first act takes place in a fairy tale setting, complete with characters like Cinderella (Katie Morgan), Prince Charming (Eric Sherburne), the woodsman (Mark Tisler) and others including the evil stepsisters, Goldilocks, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin.

The woodsman wants to be more than an incidental character without a name, and his complaints shake up the fairy-tale world. He and the evil stepsisters (Natalie Gorensek, Tracey Hoel) are transported to a real high school. Without the woodsman, the fairy tale characters must fend for themselves with humorously disastrous results. The woodsman meets high school student Danica (Mary Therese Thomas), a realist who doesn't believe in fairy tales. In the process, all the characters learn about themselves, that they can be happy in their own worlds.

"The message is to be yourselves and strive to be the best you can be," Miller said.

The youngest of three children, Mark Tisler watched his older sister and brother perform in a St. Mary production, "and I've been waiting for the time when I could do this," he said.

Actually, that's been true of most of the other eighth-graders and a few seventh-graders, as the play is truly a rite of passage for them. Natalie said she has enjoyed the chance to portray an evil stepsister.

"It's fun to be mean," she said with a grin. "My mom said I've been practicing for this my whole life."

The other cast members include Emily Teelon, Aubrey Anna Owens, Anna Tovo, Mary Vaubert, Bradley Cardova, Bradley Brodie, Marissa Bowman, David Stoner, Laura Valdes, Elizabeth Stout, Jessica Johnson, Jessica Johnson, Elizabeth Grant, Taylor Mabry, Madeline Grant, Ernesto Barquet, Connor Lanigan, Nick Adams, Claire Pullan, Anna Rowland, Courtney Law, Tori Isherwood, Melaney Mottsey, Mayra Borja, Ellie Urtiage, Carlee McClary, Rachel Joyce, Izzy Hunt, Savina Patheja, Lizzy Labnow, Carlee McClary and Sarah Sapan.

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.