Students perform drive-thru Scrooge

It was December 2019 when Annette Twitchell, director of the Groton High School Drama Club, had finished casting the students who would take the stage for the club’s 15th musical, “The Little Mermaid,” which was scheduled to be performed in March 2020.

After months of rehearsals, club members received word on the day of their first dress rehearsal, March 13, that it would be their last day of school due to COVID-19. Thus, the only chance to show off their hard work was a “drive-in theater” where the rough footage of that rehearsal was shown for the community in July.

“The students usually audition for our spring musical in December,” Twitchell said. “But with COVID on the rise and no way to know what this spring will bring, I wanted to do something, anything, to give the students a fun opportunity to use their talents for the good of the community. We all need a lift.”

This past fall, Twitchell met with the club members via Zoom. They came up with the idea to create a theatrical experience in the form of a drive-thru presentation of the story of Scrooge.

The students were excited to do it, so co-presidents Michaeline Lauchle (grade 12) and Justin Batzer (grade 9) got busy with Twitchell to come up with a plan wherein they could abide by the restrictions set in place due to COVID while also producing a quality presentation.

“We wanted to maintain the plot and characters of the original story ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens,” Twitchell said. “We created a simple script that we felt would capture the essence of this beloved classic.”

The result was a condensed version of the story with nine scenes lasting about one minute each titled “A Dickens Drive-Thru: The Story of Scrooge,” performed Tuesday, Dec. 22, on the high school grounds.

It turned out to be a lovely, heartwarming event that incorporated music as well as drama with three of the scenes dedicated to groups of carolers who also provided important dialog related to the plot.

The main characters, in order of appearance, were Evan Carlo as Ebenezer Scrooge, Sam Young as Bob Cratchit, Brynn Blasz as Mrs. Cratchit, Lena Brehm as Tiny Tim, Braedy Dilger as Jacob Marley, Michaeline Lauchle as Ghost of Christmas Past, Chloe Conger as Ghost of Christmas Present, Framke Vitale as Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Justin Batzer as Fred, Leanna Jackson as Lilly, Darian Mitchell as Mr. Fezziwig, Megan Cute as Belle and Mathias Brehm as Young Scrooge.

The Carolers were Dianna Niño, Julez Garcia, Tristin Weeks, Sarah Dean, Diella Niño, Jax Thomas-Brown and Willow Orr.

“I thought it was a really fun experience, and it was nice for the community,” said sophomore Chloe Conger. “I enjoyed being part of something like this because it was a fun new thing. A drive-thru show isn’t done often, so I think it was good for us and the community.”

Braedy Dilger, grade 9, said, “The Dickens drive-thru was a great acting exercise for repetition and improv. It was also a testament on what we can do in harsh conditions.”

Scott Weeks, father of Tristin and Groton CSD teacher and coach, gave his impression of the performance.

“Given the brisk temperatures, I was amazed at how tough these actors were the whole evening,” Scott said. “They really stuck to their tasks and put on a great show. I know what tough looks like having coached more than 25 years.”

Tristin Weeks, grade 7 said, “It was challenging but also very rewarding in the end. I really felt everyone did a good job.”

There were two scenes that needed painted wall sets, so art teacher Amber Novack-Landers and the GHS Art Club painted those. Most of the costumes came from the drama club closet, with some costume pieces from students’ homes.

As cars exited, they were treated to Christmas carols being played by a brass duo: Ethan Besler and Bruce Stotts.

Alumni from former drama club years were also incorporated. Mathias Brehm, the club secretary, dubbed them the “Ghosts of Drama Club Past.”

Paul Brecht, Charlie Case, Josh Goodwin, Catherine Jenks, Kayla Lyon, Richard Moore, Averie Roberts, Logan Roberts, Brooke Twitchell and Sam Yager stood outside in the cold for two hours waving at cars, each holding a tombstone with their name and years of involvement with the GHS Drama Club.

Yager’s mom, Lisa Yager, said of Anette Twitchell, “Even with the pandemic, she found a creative way for the kids to still do what they love. We really enjoyed it. We weren’t planning on going until Sam came home and said he’d be participating along with other alumni as ghosts of drama past, and we were curious. I’m so glad we went! The kids, as usual, were amazing.”

Michaeline Lauchle voiced her pride in the performance.

“I’m so happy we were able to get together and do something for drama club,” she said. “I’m really hoping for more in the future. Overall, it was an unforgettable, fun and safe experience.”

Twitchell said they collected donations for the club at the exit.

“I do not yet know how much money was raised since it is locked up at the school until after the break, but any amount that we take in will be icing on the cake,” she said. “The real benefit was seeing the fruit of our labors bring smiles to the faces of the community members and the joy the students felt in doing it. Who knows? Maybe we will have started a new tradition.”

Groton on the Inside appears weekly. Submit news ideas to Linda Competillo, lmc10@cornell.edu or 607-227-4922.

In brief:

Kudos to production staff

Annette Twitchell would also like to recognize and thank these additional adults who helped make “A Dickens Drive-Thru: The Story of Scrooge” such a great success: Angela Conger, Christopher Caza, Heather Carlo, Terri Lauchle, Kayla Lyon, Jordan Schott, Rob Schott, Brian Twitchell, Scott Weeks and Crystal Young.

Twitchell also extends her gratitude to those who assisted in the supervision of the evening including many parents, teachers and drama club staff members. And Scott Poreda, interim high school principal, who toughed it out all evening with them in the cold and wind, and John Brehm, who was willing to take photos and videos of the students to keep as a memory of this premier event.

Rod & Gun Club news

Members of the Groton Rod & Gun Club, 888 Elm St. Ext., are invited and encouraged to cast their votes in the elections for club president, treasurer, secretary and two board seats at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2. Masks required when social distancing is not possible.

The Winter Trap and Skeet League begins Sunday, Jan. 3, and will last for 10 weeks, then practice week and shoot-off. Must be a member of the club to participate. Memberships are available at the club for $15 per year.

TST/GHS Students of the Month

The following Groton students were recognized as outstanding students of the month for November at the TST BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center: Demitri Brooks Jr., Career Exploration Program, and Anthony Moore, Auto Technology.

These students are chosen based on qualities such as character, leadership, citizenship, work ethic and attendance, and should be compassionate, honest, trustworthy, responsible and a positive role model.

Now more than ever, the BOCES believes it is important to recognize student success. These students have been resilient in the face of uncertainty, and the CTE staff applauds their efforts to remain focused and determined during this unusual school year.