Two months of strenuous rehearsals came together the weekend of March 21 when the cast of “Avenue Q” came, sang and conquered four performances.
“It’s been incredible working with such a great cast who were so dedicated to making the show come to life,” said Emma Ruchefsky ’15, who played Kate Monster, a teaching assistant.
“Avenue Q” is about college graduate, Princeton, who moves to the rundown community to find his purpose in life.
“It’s a relatable show; people can really connect,” said Ruchefsky.
The raunchy themes were edited for school productions; however, the roaring laughs that filled the auditorium proved that wasn’t a problem.
“The audience received it really well,” said Julia Mandelbaum ’16, who played the puppet therapist, Christmas Eve. “They laughed at all the jokes, and they really got the humor.”
Most of “Avenue Q’s” cast operated puppets, but some students had to learn how to interact with their puppet costars.
“It was definitely something unique having to converse with puppets,” said Bryan Gannon ’14, who played aspiring comedian, Brian.
Cara McNiff ’14, who portrayed Gary Coleman, explained the difficulty she had interacting with the puppets.
“It was a challenge not interacting with puppeteers. Although I didn’t physically hold a puppet, acting and singing along side them was definitely the challenge.”
With the final bow after the Sunday matinee, there were some mixed feelings for the seniors.
“It’s extremely bittersweet. I wouldn’t have traded the past four years for anything else in the world. I had the time of my life and made the absolute best friends I will ever make,” said McNiff.
But the year’s not over yet! Mandelbaum says there’s always something to look forward to in Players.
“I can’t wait to start working on our new productions.”
