by Allison Alwood
The Trojan Theatre’s current production, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily by Katie Forgette can be seen in the York Suburban Senior High School Auditorium on Thursday Dec. 3 through Saturday Dec 4.
The play is a mystery/comedy pertaining to stolen letters and disguises. Three freshmen and one senior act in the main roles. Faculty adviser Shannon Metzler said, “I think it’s pretty awesome having a combination of lower and upperclassmen. You can’t build a program without building people up.”
The main characters consist of Dr. Watson (freshman John Casper), Mrs. Lillie Langtry (freshman Ellen Korver), Professor Moriarty (freshman Emerson White), and Sherlock Holmes (senior Cosimo Sciortino).
This will be Sciortino’s last production as a high school student. He has been involved with eleven of the Trojan Theatre’s productions and acted in a total of ten.
Sciortino has participated in theatre ever since his freshman year. He said, “It’s more than just theatrics; it’s about having fun.” Sciortino has become a leader within the Trojan Theatre.
While watching the group activities, the underclassmen clearly enjoy his presence. They ask him questions pertaining to the show and he seemingly knows all of the answers. Sciortino said, “I know what is expected of me.” He is looking forward to a large audience on opening night.
The Trojan Theatre’s production of Sherlock Holmes and The Case of the Jersey Lily is a must see. The blend of fictional and nonfictional characters adds an interesting twist to the average play. The cast and crew are anticipating the audience’s reaction to a climactic sword fight. Sciortino said, “You will not be disappointed.”
Sciortino considers the Trojan Theatre anything but an extracurricular activity. Sciortino said, “We consider ourselves as more of a tight-knit family.”
The Trojan Theatre meets regularly to participate in focus and energy games, to recite lines, and to construct sets and props. Metzler said, “One thing that I love about Trojan Theatre is that everyone is close and equally appreciated. The actors have tremendous respect for the hard-working set builders and stage crew. Most theatres don’t have the type of connection that we do.”
Metzler teaches by day and instructs theatrical productions by night. There is no doubt that such a busy schedule could be stressful, but Metzler enjoys every piece of her job. Metzler said, “I have always been used to having a busy schedule.”
She enjoys having two completely different teaching environments packed into one day. Metzler said, “I get to teach a class full of students about literature and have a hands-on experience with students who have a passion for theatre.”