"The Play" highlights talents on and off the stage

SEELEY LAKE – "This is the very first of Oskar Murphy productions," Playwright and Seeley-Swan High School Senior Oskar Murphy said about "The Play." It will be performed Thursday, March 3 at 6:45 p.m. by the Seeley-Swan High School Drama Class. Attendees will watch this original script unfold as a mad king attempts to control and dominate the princess.

"The Play's" theme is about a woman overcoming adversity.

"I just liked the story of being told you can't do something, and knowing something is impossible, but still going through with it anyways and succeeding," Murphy said.

The last major play performed for the community by the SSHS Drama Class was "12 Angry Men" in May 2019. While Murphy started writing a play for the class to perform his sophomore year, it was canceled due to COVID.

"I got really into it and enjoyed it," Murphy said. "It is a good past time."

At the beginning of this year, he approached Drama Teacher Katy Pellett about writing another play for the Drama Class. He wanted to make it "cooler and better" than the one he started his sophomore year.

While he does not usually listen to classical music, he put on Mozart's "Symphony No. 40."

"All these ideas start flowing. It just drew a picture in my mind of a mad king and this princess overcoming his rulings. It just kind of played itself out," Murphy said. "I guess I'm just the pencil holder."

Since he already knew who was in his class, Murphy wrote it with some of the parts already cast. Others were a mystery. He and Pellett did the casting for the nine characters when they started working on the play two months ago. He is excited to see the characters come to life.

"Beth [Homen] took [her part] and made it times a thousand with how funny she is," Murphy said. "I think everyone filled their role pretty well and I'm glad with who is playing who."

Murphy started as the director and producer of it. Since it was a class, they could only practice during class time, and he said it turned into an overwhelming job.

"We decided Oskar needed to focus on enjoying his play, having fun, not managing a bunch of kids and do the King part," Pellett said who stepped in as the co-director. "He's done something awesome and I'm proud of [him]."

"I just had to accept that it was ok if it didn't turn out exactly as I wanted it," Murphy said. "As it went on, it became more of a class-involved thing."

Murphy also wrote "The Play" with a fairly simple set in mind. The class designed the set, props and the SSHS Art Class made the wooden swords used in the play.

"It will be cool to see something of mine created," Murphy said.

Murphy said the biggest thing he has learned is patience and perseverance.

"I already have the whole idea of what I wanted it to be and what it is supposed to be but no one else does," Murphy said. "I kind of have to paint the picture together so that everybody gets the idea."

Having their peer as the playwright and being able to create alongside Murphy has been an experience the class really appreciated. They loved the flexibility with the script and felt they could have a lot more fun bringing the characters to life with feedback from Murphy while adding their own creativity and personality.

The students said it has been challenging since the class is small yet there were so many opinions and ideas bounced around. However, they have finally come together and get to mentor more students in the second semester. The second semester students have had to learn the play quickly and appreciated that they had more time to learn their parts and roles since it was postponed until March 3.

"It has become an incredible experience." Pellett said. "My kids have faced all kinds of adversity and conquered [it] and are awesome. They have done incredible things. I couldn't be more proud of them."

Seniors Tyren Stidham, Crystal Lopez and Murphy are excited to get out and "express themselves" before graduation. Everyone agreed they are clairvoyant, want to be there and are really excited to bring the joy of the stage to the community.

The community is invited Thursday night, March 3 at 6:45 p.m. in the SSHS auditorium. The cost is $5/adult, $2/students, free for little children and seniors. Donations to the drama team will also be accepted. The funds will be used for sets, costumes and they are also raising money for a spotlight. This year some of the students purchased their own costumes.

"It's not as much about how I came up with this play specifically but how I come up with the next one and the next one," Murphy said. "My goal in life, absolutely, is to have a production at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle."