Chartiers-Houston High School prepares to blow the house down with first fall play production
Courtesy of Nicole Tafe
Chartiers-Houston School District will present the comedy “Big Bad,” the high school’s first fall play in more than a decade, Nov. 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. The play is directed by secondary half-time music teacher Nicole Tafe and student director Chloe Pietropaula.
Courtesy of Nicole Tafe
On Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, for the first time in 12 years, Chartiers-Houston High School will welcome present a fall play: “Big Bad.” Pictured, from left, are veteran performers: senior Anna Knight (Miss Muffit); senior Jack Cornell (Mr. Big Bad Wolf); junior Molly Bard (Ms. Evil Stepmother); junior Grace Baer (Sydney Grimm), senior Noelle Bova (Ms. Fairy Godmother), senior Maxwell Kasperowski and senior Kyle Rush.
Next week, Chartiers-Houston High School will set the stage – literally speaking – for the trial of the century.
For the first time in more than a decade, Chartiers-Houston School District invites the public to a fall play inside the high school auditorium. On Friday, Nov. 10 and Saturday, Nov. 11, the newly-chartered Chartiers-Houston Thespians Troupe #11413, led by secondary half-time music teacher and director Nicole Tafe, will present “Big Bad.”
“It’s a comedy. It’s the story of the Big Bad Wolf on trial for misdeeds in the enchanted forest,” said Tafe. “The kids have had a really good time. It’s nonsensical funny.”
Each year, Chartiers-Houston puts on a highly-anticipated spring musical (“Our spring musical is fantastic,” Tafe said). When she was hired to replace retired choral director Nancy McGill at the start of this school year, Tafe and superintendent Dr. Gary Peiffer talked about reimplementing fall plays, a tradition at many surrounding school districts.
“I really commend Nicole Tafe for rolling up her sleeves and launching this program again,” Peiffer said. “We’re still struggling after the pandemic. We want to provide different opportunities for students to be engaged in school activities and we’re trying to reach out and provide programs that will appeal to kids who, maybe they’re interested in theater but maybe they don’t like singing. Or maybe they don’t play an instrument. This allows them to become involved with theater and promotes the arts. It involves students, and I want them to engage in learning and have good experiences here.”
When auditions for “Big Bad” were held in September, Tafe wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I had hoped that a lot of my kids who were in ‘Newsies’ last year with me … would come back. A lot of them did,” she said. “I think what I was most excited to see, there were a lot of kids that haven’t ever done anything with theater here at Chartiers who came out. It’s a nice broad reach. We have kids from 7th grade all the way through 12th grade in the show.”
“Big Bad” rehearsals began in September under the direction of Tafe and student director Chloe Pietropaula. Costumes were generously loaned to Chartiers-Houston by Lorra Brannen, who directs at Peters Township School District, and the set was crafted by Char-Houston’s stage crew, led by student stage manager Aaliyah Ambriz.
Between cast and crew, about 45 students are involved in the production.
“It’s kind of what I hoped for. It’s becoming a large-scale school endeavor, instead of just a couple of students,” Tafe said. “There is a huge pool of talent here. Some of it has maybe been unexplored. It’s brought out a lot of kids who maybe aren’t comfortable singing, they’re doing the fall play.”
Senior Jack Cornell plays the titular character, and is joined onstage by seniors Anna Knight (Miss Muffit), Noelle Bova (Ms. Fairy Godmother), Maxwell Kasperowski (Judge Wise Old Man) and Kyle Rush (Old Shepherd), and juniors Molly Bard (Ms. Evil Stepmother) and Grace Baer (Sydney Grimm). Tafe said it’s been wonderful watching veteran performers nurture younger talent.
“The kids are definitely ready,” she said.
Tafe noted that “Big Bad” would not be possible without the support of Peiffer, the school board and the parent booster club, led by Jenna Baer. At both performances, all proceeds from the 50/50 raffle and concessions will benefit Chartiers-Houston Thespians Troupe #11413.
There is no ticket presale. Tickets will be available at the door – $7 for adults, $5 for students and seniors – both Friday and Saturday evening, and “Big Bad” begins promptly at 7:30 p.m.
Run time, including a short intermission during which the audience votes to decide Big Bad Wolf’s fate, is about an hour and 15 minutes.
“I’m excited,” said Peiffer. “I just hope people come out on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11 to see it. We’re hoping this will become as anticipated in the fall as the musical is in the spring.