band geeks audiences relate to quirky characters

BAND GEEKS AUDIENCES RELATE TO QUIRKY CHARACTERS,
SIMILAR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCES
Sense of belonging, solid acting deliver sold-out Black-Box performances
By Lee Auchter
Cuddled with a “Snuggie” around her knees, St. Agnes Senior
Symone Carty took in every scene, character, song of the Band Geeks fall
musical last September, identifying with her own band experience.
But nothing pleased Carty more than the discovery that Laura, the
lead female role in Band Geeks, played the flute just like her, a four-year
member of the Strake Jesuit-St. Agnes Pep Band.
“I saw myself in that role!” said Carty. “I nudged my friend, because
‘the flute’ was in a leading role. It made my day.” Carty’s best friend, St.
Agnes Senior Anna Bate,’ shared the Snuggie with her at the play.
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St. Agnes Junior Madison McAllister played the role of Laura. Carty
says her senior year emulates Laura’s character.
“I loved that Laura was auditioning to play flute in college, just like
me,” said Carty, who hopes to perform in college orchestra.
Character Laura, played by junior Madison McAllister, unifies the Cuyahoga High Marching Beavers with
cheerfulness and commitment.
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BLACK BOX INTIMACY
Band Geeks, under the direction of Jeremy Wood, St. Agnes Academy
Associate Director of Music, performed to three sold-out crowds Sept. 1720. An intimate Black-Box format, where the audience sits on the stage,
facilitates a close connection with the play’s characters.
Wood says while the characters are “quirky,” entertaining, their
experiences and passion for belonging to a band creates a common bond.
Beaver Band Leader Elliot, played by senior Zachary Wierschem, is surprised when twirler Nicole, played by Daniela
Echeverri, notices him. Stewart, played by junior Drake Lewis, looks on.
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GO FOR IT
Importantly, he says this bond encourages kids to “Embrace Your
Inner Geek”—the closing song of the show—“and just go for it.”
“These experiences become part of your whole high school existence
and build confidence to make the most of your talent.
“I certainly remember my high school experience and hope audience
members can relate to their personal memories with the Cuyahoga High
Marching Beavers,” said Wood.
Back from summer break, Alvin, played by senior Quoc Tran, looks over the Band Geeks music during practice.
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RUSH FOR SHOW TICKETS
Carty’s first glimpse of Band Geeks came in the form of a
promotional poster near her locker. She rushed to buy her show ticket
during St. Agnes lunch.
“I got so excited and started telling all my friends to join me. I’m glad
they actually came, and I had someone to talk to about it,” said Carty, eager
for a show reflective of her passion: Band.
St. Agnes Sophomore Ashley Nguyen, who plays the cymbals in the
Pep Band, shares that passion. She relates to the character Jake, played by
Strake Jesuit Junior Ethan O’Neal. Jake, who joins band by default, must
learn to play an instrument—the snare drum—rather than play football, his
passion.
“I, like a lot of kids, come into high school band not knowing how to
play their instruments. I played the bells in middle school band, but had to
learn a new percussion instrument, the cymbals,” said Nguyen, who also
helped with decorating the Auditorium lobby for Band Geeks.
Nguyen adds that one friend, who played clarinet in Pep Band, had to
learn the bassoon to play in Symphonic Band.
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Band Geeks musicians, like Kyle, played by junior Andrew Donnell, are passionate about their instruments and about
making music together.
MUSIC MOTIVATES
“But we like playing in a big group and we like music, so we’re
motivated,” said Nguyen. Pep Band has about 100 members under the
direction of Guillermo Hernandez-Ching.
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Playgoers Claire Poole-Auchter and Leigh Stubbs—both former
marching band members and flute players—reflected on their high school
culture that included a lot of fun and a lot of commitment.
Twirler Nicole, played by junior Daniela Echeverri, leads band members during practice in the school parking lot.
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GREAT MORAL
Poole-Auchter, aunt of Strake Jesuit Junior Christopher Auchter who
played band director Mr. Hornsby, says Band Geeks is an appropriate play
for high school students and exemplifies “a great moral to live by.”
“It’s ‘true to form.’ We’re all different is some way, and we shouldn’t
belittle anyone for being different,” said Poole-Auchter who played in
Houston’s Memorial High School Marching Band.
Pranks are common for the Cuyahoga Band Geeks, as displayed by character Molly, played by sophomore Lillian
Young, and Stewart, played by junior Drake Lewis.
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She adds that while Band Geeks characters are exaggerated—“nobody
ever had their pants stolen” like character Stewart played by Strake Jesuit
Junior Drake Lewis—band kids are regarded as a bit “nerdy.”
SENSE OF BELONGING
“Band gave us a sense of belonging. We dressed a bit differently,
laughed at the same odd jokes; but we were passionate about music,” said
Poole-Auchter.
Strake Jesuit Junior William Donnell echoes this dilemma of being
different while gaining acceptance with the commonality of music and band.
Twirler Nicole, played by junior Daniela Echeverri, and Natalia, played by sophomore Shannon Lewis, discover the
importance of belonging to a band group.
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“The music had a mix of humor and sadness, with a consistent theme
of band members being outcasts, feeling left out. But they had each other,”
said Donnell, a second-year member of Mixed Chorus.
Stubbs, who performed in San Antonio’s MacArthur High School
Marching Band, is mother of St. Agnes Senior Laura Stubbs, a four-year
member of the Mixed Chorus. Leigh Stubbs remembers sitting with her
band friends at lunch and the Mac Band making state competition three of
her four years in high school.
“Our band was outstanding on the whole and our band director,
awesome. We all wanted to make him happy, like the Band Geeks kids
related to Mr. Hornsby,” said Stubbs, whose son Matthew sang in Triple
Trio and now sings at the University of Texas at Austin.
BACK OF THE BUS
On a lighter note, Stubbs adds that travel to competition and games is
consistent with Band Geeks’ characterization of the experience.
“Everybody wanted to sit at the back of the bus!” she said, where
couples kissed. Characters Jake and Nicole, played by St. Agnes Junior
Daniela Echeverri, highlighted the scene.
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Band director Mr. Hornsby, played by junior Christopher Auchter, endeavors to drive the school bus while school
secretary Joyce, played by junior Carolina Wood, snuggles closely to him.
But more “sticky” situations also prevail in life, just as in Band Geeks,
says Donnell.
The character Laura, explains Donnell, took blame for damage to the
football equipment in the locker room because “she knew in her heart” Jake
was not responsible but also did not want to “snitch” on any band member.
LIFE’S LESSONS
“It’s like knowing someone cheated on a test but you don’t want to
get a friend in trouble. But one of life’s lessons is taking responsibility for
mistakes,” said Donnell, who also related to balancing homework with
extra-curricular activities.
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Russian exchange student Natalia, played by sophomore Shannon Lewis, sings “Big Shot” in Act 2 of Band Geeks,
holding her trumpet. Lewis wore a different costume of her design each of the four performances.
But Donnell’s favorite part of the show: the costumes, particularly
those St. Agnes Sophomore Shannon Lewis put together. She played the
character Natalia, a Russian exchange student who plays the trumpet.
“Shannon wore something different every performance while
remaining in character. With each show, she brought a fresh look to the
role, whether she wore striped polos or polka-dot socks,” said Donnell.
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Band Geeks earn their purple and gold uniforms, complete with fancy hats, in the show finale.
PURPLE AND GOLD
Carty found the purple and gold costumes for the finale her favorite:
authentic band uniforms.
“I loved the fancy hats and the legitimate public school uniforms,”
said Carty. She laments that Pep Band wears black pants and black polo
shirts to perform at football games.
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Band director Mr. Hornsby, played by junior Christopher Auchter, sings “If I Had a Stage,” portraying his desire to
perform professionally.
‘IF I HAD A STAGE’
Regarding their favorite song, Donnell and Carty concur—both are
drawn to “If I Had a Stage,” sung by Christopher Auchter.
“The song inspired me, made me feel more connected with the actor
(Mr. Hornsby). I genuinely wanted him to get the stage,” said Donnell.
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Carty recalls how lighting enhanced the dramatic piece and a duet
portion of the song. Auchter and Strake Jesuit Senior Zachary Wierschem,
who played Elliot, the Beaver band leader who plays the tuba, present
parallel aspirations.
“Spotlights on the characters set the mood for ‘If I Had a Stage.’ The
song was really beautiful, breathtaking. It was about dreams and finding
fulfillment,” she said.
Band leader Elliot, played by senior Zachary Wierschem, embraces his tuba, a show motif for personal burden, desire
for acceptance.
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PRIDE, DETERMINATION
Carty’s favorite scene, she adds, is when Elliot presents his summer
labor: “Flight of the Tuba,” a personal composition, to teacher Mr. Hornsby.
“You could see in Elliot’s eyes his enthusiasm, pride in his work. He
displayed true determination,” said Carty.
Elliot, like all the Band Geeks, she said, looked for both personal
approval, acceptance and for recognition of the entire Beaver band unit.
“Elliot showed that if you persevere, your dreams can come true.”
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Photos by Donna Donnell and Carolina Gambini
Artwork by Terry Suprean, St. Agnes Art Department
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