Theatre arts program brings cult classic to Citrus stage
Nothing says Halloween quite like pigs' blood, telekinetic powers and prom-queen vengeance.
From Oct. 24-27, students and staff from the Citrus College Theatre Arts program presented four performances of "Carrie: The Musical" on stage at the Haugh Performing Arts Center.
Directed by faculty member Renee Liskey with vocal direction from faculty member Marius Beltran, the contemporary rock opera is a stage adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling novel, "Carrie."
"'Carrie' was chosen, for one, because it is close to Halloween and the subject fit well with the season. It also is a favorite of the students," Liskey explained. "We performed one number from 'Carrie' in our 2023 Halloween Spooktacular and it was a hit, so we decided to further investigate putting together a full production of the show."
According to Liskey, the production featured dozens of students, including 19 actors, 12 crew members and six musicians.
Although the team began rehearsing at the beginning of September, preparations for the show began much earlier.
"Prior to casting, there were several meetings [during which time] we fleshed out how we all see the production and what we will each bring to the table to create a concise, educational and profitable production," Liskey said.
The result was a production that appealed to a wide range of audiences, including musical theater fans, Stephen King enthusiasts and horror movie aficionados.
"The college's performing arts programs take pride in producing well-rounded, highly trained students who can go out and work in professional fields," Liskey said. "Part of that training is for students to immerse themselves in full-scale productions on a regular basis, so that when they go out into the professional performance world, they have the tools already practiced and in their wheelhouse."
This article originally appeared in the November 2024 edition of the Citrus View.