Ansley Tillman, Arts and Entertainment Editor
An electric guitar whines as young teens face deities and demons from Ancient Greece in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. Produced by St. Andrew’s Sewanee, the musical originated from Rick Riordan’s well-beloved book series. The series has had several adaptations, (the musical being one of the most accurate renditions of the story) that follows protagonist Percy Jackson as he journeys on a quest across America that blends the modern world with Ancient Greek mythology. Facing everything from Chimeras to wayward gods, Percy and his best friends, Grover and Annabeth, save the world from doom. The heart of this musical is the communal bond between all the demigods.This central theme was clearly embedded in the hearts and minds of this brilliant high school cast.
The show was almost entirely student-run. All the choreography and tech for the show was solely under student jurisdiction. Elowyn Pate, a freshman at the school, choreographed the songs “Drive” and “Lost!” while playing the role of Thalia. When asked how the student leadership affected the production, she commented, “I respond better to my peers. I put more pressure on myself if an upperclassman is telling me to do something rather than a director. And since it was all student-run, everyone was more together and it was a respectful cast. We were all of the same value and it just put that value in the show. That we are all here and are all as important, whether you have an ensemble role or a big role, we are all listening under the same thing and working together.” The student leadership made the show feel like a team effort and promoted equality amid the students.
One of the greatest challenges of this production was the absence of a tech week. One week before the performance, almost the entire cast was out sick, so they could not run any of the lighting and audio or rehearse before opening night. Highschool senior Hannah Hardin said, “It made everyone really stressed, but I think it made all of us closer if anything. We were all there for each other when people were freaking out and stressed.” Even through the toughest moments, the cast grew more tight-knit and rose to the challenge.
The cast not only worked well together, but were diligent in their own individual roles. Hardin was cast as the Oracle of Delphi and Charon: the DJ of the underworld. “My role was very dramatic,” Hardin said. “So I was like, ‘Okay, how do I make this as crazy as possible?’ So I watched a lot of RuPaul’s Drag Race in preparation, which I do regardless, but I watched a lot of drag race and really just listened to the Broadway recording.”
In preparation for her role as Thalia, Pate really took into consideration all that contributed to the scene. “I had no idea about Percy Jackson when I came into this. So I had to do a lot of research on Thalia, but I realized she only got this little part and I basically had to explain her entire story in this one part. And I knew that Percy Jackson fans were coming, so I thought ‘Okay, they only get this one part and I’m going to make it right.’” She learned sword fighting, working towards portraying an emotional, tender moment in a meaningful way.
The connection between cast members was tangibly felt by the audience. Eva Purdy, freshmen and participant of the Sewanee Choir, described their singing as phenomenal. He said, “I think they not only did it justice, but took it above and beyond what most highschools would do with it.” The musical was loved by long time fans like Purdy and those new to the Percy Jackson universe alike.
Director William Eyerly had a special guest come in to work with the students: Kristin Stokes. Stokes played Annabeth in the original Broadway cast. Pate said, “She would work on the characters, character development, breaking down why the characters are there, what they are doing and why what they are saying means something to the plot.” Having a professional come and assist the students in putting on this production was so inspiring to the students who got to participate, and gave the characters a depth that the audience could see.
This show was incredible to watch, with important messages about courage, friendship, and centaurs. “My favorite part was honestly being in the show with this amazing cast,” Pate said. “This was the first theater at this new school and I was super nervous about how this community was different from my old school. But my favorite part was how welcoming everyone was and how together we were, and how I could look up to so many people. It was just a positive environment.”
Before the last performance, she and some friends held hands and said a prayer together. Whether seniors or freshmen, everyone was involved and grew close bonds through this production in a way that made the performance shine.