Curriculum & Instruction: NJH

HONK

by Kasey Green

April 18, 2008

On Thursday, March 27, 2008; many elementary classes, Mrs. Rivers’s junior high forensics class, and Mrs. Pommier’s high school forensics class went and enjoyed a few scenes from the play Honk, a twist on the Ugly Duckling. A major excitement was that some of Northeast's students were cast in this play. Meagan, Ian and Claire Horn played ducklings; their mother, Peggy, was also a duck. An Arma alumni, Michael Doue, played Mr. Bullfrog. Meagan and Ian were siblings in the play; they also had the ugly duckling as a brother.

I was lucky enough to get to talk with Meagan and Claire about what they thought about the play.

Kasey: What did you like most about being in the play?

Claire: Being able to remember the dance for the introduction.

Meagan: Coming out of the eggs.

Kasey: What was your least favorite thing about being in the play?

Claire and Meagan: quick changes were really hard.

Kasey: Were you nervous about being in front of a lot of people including some you know?

Claire and Meagan: Not at all, we knew our lines and positions so we didn’t have to fret.

Kasey: What was your favorite scene?

Claire: Warts and all

Meagan: Together

Unfortunately we didn’t get to see either of those scenes and Meagan told me she wasn’t in her favorite scene. I learned that they practiced three hours every night for two months. On Easter they had to practice for five hours. They had just got the orchestra the Sunday before the opening week.

Mrs. Pommier helped with costumes and watched the scenes with us. She told us that Lisa Quinteras was the costume designer and that they improvised a lot on the costumes. For the frog costumes it was a poncho spray painted green with a plastic tablecloth on top of it. Peggy has an amazing costume made by Mrs. Pommier, it is two prom dresses cut at the seams and then sewn together so the back is one dress and the front is another. She loved to help but said it was a little hard helping while seven months pregnant. Mrs. Pommier also helped backstage with the quick changes.

After visiting the play we talked with some of the elementary students that also visited with us. We talked to Joshua Dickey who had a little to say.

Kasey: What was your favorite part?

Joshua: When the cat found Ugly.

Kasey: What was your least favorite part?

Joshua: When the cat ran away.

Next I talked to Jordon Yoakum.

Kasey: What was your favorite part?

Jordon: When Ugly tried to quack but could only honk. I liked when the ducks went swimming with their dad.

Later I went and talked to Leena Ewan.

Kasey: What was your favorite part?

Leena: When the ducks hatched, I liked how the eggs were giant and that the chicks were real people.

Kasey: Who was your favorite person?