The Lennox High School Drama Club is set to perform their fall play, Antiques, this Friday, November 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lennox High School cafetorium. With open general admission and a free-will donation at the door, the community is invited to witness a unique tale set in an antique shop where objects carry stories, spirits seek closure, and the lives of the characters reveal hidden depths of compassion and understanding.
The play, directed by Christi Sayler, centers around an antique shop owned by Elaine (played by Alek Kilene) and her nephew Carl (portrayed by Isaiah Sayler). The shop is no ordinary place, though—it’s filled with relics that hold a connection to their past owners. After hours, these objects come to life, inhabited by spirits seeking resolution. Each “guest” has a story to tell, and through these monologues, they grapple with themes of loss, heartache, and hope, finding a way to truly move on. Similarly, the employees of the shop share a parallel story as they help each other and their customers in far more ways than meet the eye.
This dynamic setting allows students to explore deep emotional storytelling.
“The actors have the opportunity to learn empathy and to reach outside of their comfort zone in playing different kinds of characters,” Sayler explained, “My overall vision is to open the audience to the realization that there is a story behind everything and to see past what's on the outside to become more compassionate towards the needs of others.”
Selecting this script was no easy task.
“When I originally sat down with the Activities Director when I was first hired, we agreed to do a cycle of plays over four years which gave the students an opportunity to participate in two musicals, a comedy and a drama over the course of their High School career. This year was the drama year,” said Sayler. “I struggled to find a script that had the flexibility for a large cast. I want to ensure that I can cast every student who auditions for the fall show if at all possible. Most dramas do not have large casts. I read this one early on in the process and set it aside for possibly another time but after reading about 20 other scripts, I found that it was the only one that really piqued my interest and had a somewhat flexible cast. I have also added characters to the background outside the store windows or have extras shopping in the store whenever possible.”
The play’s theme is not just for the audience—it’s also a powerful experience for the young actors involved. The cast, which includes both high school students and even a third grader, started by rehearsing in separate groups, gradually building confidence and connection across age differences. They had the unique opportunity to work with students from the University of Sioux Falls Theatre Department, who conducted a stage makeup workshop, teaching them to portray older characters.
“Over many rehearsals, the actors have been able to develop their characters and learn their lines,” said Sayler. “We also had the opportunity for students from the University of Sioux Falls Theatre department come to lead a stage makeup workshop. Most of our actors have to play older characters, so they learned how to age themselves with makeup. The students really enjoyed the experience, and look forward to adding this element to the show.”
The show has brought some challenges as they have had to work around the students’ schedules, all of whom are involved in numerous activities.
“Finding time for a large cast to come together for rehearsal has been a challenge. A few of the characters also have an accent in the show, so we have had to spend time learning to speak with an authentic sounding accent while still being understandable. It is also hard to maintain an accent when those around you aren't speaking the same way so we have had to work on that as well,” said Sayler. “Probably the biggest challenge for me was blocking the ghosts' scenes to keep them interesting since they can't touch anything except their specific items nor can they touch each other. Needing to add levels when your character's can't sit in a chair or lean on a counter is tough!”
This production also brings some technical creativity to the stage. Sayler, with a background in lighting design, is using sepia-toned gels to distinguish the ghost scenes from the present-day ones.
“Working within the confines of limited light fixtures to create two separate scenes that are still well lit is always a challenge, but I think we've been able to pull it off. It helps that they ghost scenes take place at night so shadows are ok and natural,” said Sayler. “Also the ghost entrance, making it appear as the ghost are coming in through a wall was a lot of fun to work out. My set crew and I bounced a lot of ideas back and forth and I think we found a good solution. I am also excited about all the antiques that were lent to us. The shop looks really cluttered and eclectic which was my vision.”
The cast includes Maddigan Van Sickle as Betsy, Zander Hazuka as Col. Mellon, Noah Sayler as Hobart, Taylor Van Sickle as Annie, Riley Nelson as Clay, Arianna Poppens as Angela, Alek Kilene as Elaine, Isaiah Sayler as Carl, Miriam Wlech as Nadine, Sophia Sanchez as Jenny, Carter Dose as Jim, Valicity VanBriesen as Marty, Charlee Jorgensen as Helen, McKenna Visscher as Arlene, Madix Havard as Bob. Customers are played by Leo Aesoph, Isaak Booker, Liz Hanisch, Karson Iken, Duncan Johnson, Elijah Johnson, Emersen Lee, and Allison Schulz. Stage Manager is portrayed by Graycee Postma. Backstage Crew members include Jazlyn Van Sickle, Lucy Carlson, Izzy Gerdes, and Gracie Wood. Tech Crew members include Jacob Carlson and Chase Hazuka.
Audiences can look forward to impactful moments, such as Angela’s haunting introduction, a ghost who passed in childbirth, and Hobart’s transformation, which Sayler described as “very impactful” showing what we see on the outside of a person often masks deeper, hidden hurt. The production promises to be both moving and thought-provoking, offering something for everyone who attends. Sayler does note that while past shows have been family-friendly in nature, this show deals with themes such as loss, death and grief.
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