On Feb. 8, students and theatre enthusiasts at St. Martin de Porres High School came together to present “The Enchanted Bookshop” – a tale about a magical bookstore where the characters inside the stories come alive each night.
The theatrical production tells the story of Margie, a scatterbrained business owner whose used book shop – A Likely Story – is in trouble because customers aren’t coming in to buy books anymore.
According to Jessica Hamilton, the drama teacher at St. Martin de Porres High School, Margie is visited in the night by some classical literary characters who try to help save her business.
“[They] protect her from these book thieves that are coming to steal a necklace that was implanted in one of the books,” she shared in an interview prior to the production on Wednesday evening.
Classic literary figures who make an appearance in St. Martin de Porres' production include Dorothy Gale, Robin Hood, Pollyanna, Sherlock Holmes, Heidi, and Tom Sawyer. Additional appearances include beloved literary characters such as the Queen of Hearts, Long John Silver, and Doctor Dolittle.
The twist in the tale is that the characters are not allowed to leave the bookstore or be seen by human eyes, so when a pair of smugglers come into the shop looking for the stolen necklace, they’re torn on what to do. Should they warn Margie and risk disappearing forever, or can they find a way to defeat the crooks without being seen?
The 23-cast member ensemble consisted of students from grades 10 to 12, according to Hamilton, who go the extra mile to make the theatrical production a success.
“These are students that are doing this outside of the regular schedule,” she explained. “This isn’t a drama class; this is a drama club which is fully extracurricular.”
The drama instructor stated the club allows all students in the school, regardless of their acting skill level or participation in the drama program, an opportunity to showcase their on-stage talents, have some fun, and perform with their peers in front of a live audience.
“It gives the kids a chance to experience the theatre without the stress and pressure of having to be the main character,” she said.
Hamilton, who co-directed the show alongside fellow teachers Sara Neumiller and Alex Ball, added due to the school’s size, students don’t always have an opportunity to participate in drama productions.
“A lot of students get a little shy or nervous because they see those “big bold” drama kids that want to be part of it,” she shared. “This really provides an opportunity to meet and work with different people in the school and share their gifts and talents.”
She added St. Martin de Porres students are often involved in multiple extracurricular activities while attending the school, such as band and athletics teams, and that the drama club offers something a little different.
“We work around all these busy student’s schedules to make sure they can be part of this,” she said.
According to Hamilton, the cast and crew met anywhere from two to three times a week to rehearse for the production starting at the end of November, and worked right up until the eve of showtime on Feb. 8.
“[The cast and crew] are an amazing talented group of kids – they're able to show our community that regardless of where you perform or what you perform, the end result is always amazing and incredible,” she said.
There is also a back-stage crew of students who worked behind the scenes, attending each rehearsal, painting the set, creating book covers, and helping with sound and lighting, according to Hamilton.
“It’s just been a whole different group of kids that have been coming and wanting to be part of that, which is pretty amazing too,” she added.
“It’s just a dedicated group of kids that has such a passion for it and they want to be there.”
The demand for tickets was high and an allotment of 125 tickets sold out quickly.
“We don’t go out to the public with our tickets because it is such a small space and we only do one show,” Hamilton explained. “We really like to make sure we cater to our school community first.”
