Lights, camera, action! Cast and crew gear up for fall play

The stage is set, the lights are on, and the cast and crew of the 2012 fall play are well on their way to a great performance. Even with a title like “Up the Down Staircase”, the actors’ progress is going nowhere but up.
“We have only had a few rehearsals,” said play director Katie Schultz. “Right now we are at the blocking stage, which is basically telling people where to go. Last rehearsal, we had a read through with everybody in the choir room, and it went really well, so I’m really excited about that.”
The story line for “Up the Down Staircase” is based on both a book and a movie. The movie, which came out in the 1950s, starred a woman named Sandy Dennis, who was born in Hastings and raised in Kenesaw. The play version follows a first year teacher named Sylvia Barrett through her first semester teaching at a school in New York City.
“I play Sylvia,” said senior actress Caitlin Kalvelage. “She is a teacher who comes right from college to teach inner-city kids.”
There are many qualities that Kalvelage likes in her character.
“She is a very strong woman, one who doesn’t back down,” she said. “I love that.”
What’s not to love? With good progress being made during rehearsal, there are many things to look forward to.
“We have the opportunity to work with many students this year,” Schultz said. “We work with a lot of people in the musical, but we never get to have this many in a play. There are about 30 students in the cast. Some of them play administrators in the school, and about 18 of them play students. We even have a handful of freshmen.”
Kalvelage was excited for different reasons.
“Probably for when I learn all my lines!” she said.
“Up the Down Staircase” will be showing in the Hastings High auditorium on November 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. and then again on November 4 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are FREE for students with an activity ticket, $4.00 for students without and activity ticket, and $7.00 for adults.