Upbeat energy propels St. Joe's production of 'Godspell'

St. Joseph senior Elizabeth Skrinjar is sharing her talent on stage for the first time in her high school years and said it’s one of the best decisions she has ever made.

“I thought the musical would be something fun,” she said. “Now I think of it as an escape and a great way to express myself. The audience will enjoy the emotion and the obvious relationship among the cast.”

“Godspell” hits the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday and runs through March 26 at Huston Middle School in Lower Burrell.

Tickets cost $10 to $15 and are available online.

The musical, composed by Stephen Schwartz, was originated by drama students at Carnegie Mellon University before moving to Broadway in the early 1970s. Structured as a series of parables, the show comes alive with upbeat, familiar songs like “Day by Day.”

The tiny school in Harrison didn’t let cast size thwart thoughts of doing a big production.

With fewer than 20 students who auditioned for cast and crew, director Mandi Porter said she is “truly amazed at what we have been able to accomplish.

“We had only one young man and a handful of first-timers,” said Porter, a teacher at Mary Queen of Apostles (MQA) in New Kensington.

Despite the challenges, the cast is blessed with enough support and talent to be more than ready for the opening date, she said.

Junior Donovan Polito landed the lead role of Jesus. He said the positive energy will draw the audience into the performances.

“The edge of the stage won’t really be a wall containing the show,” he said.

St. Joe’s theater alum and current teacher Natalie Brock serves as producer.

She previously performed in “Godspell.” She loved the community it built and how the show introduced religion in a fun way.

Student Bailey Linza agreed, saying she enjoys “how casual this production is.”

The show is open to interpretation in regards to costumes and set design.

“It’s not a show where you have to specifically do something in the stage directions, but instead gives us free range to be ourselves,” Linza said. “We are sharing our faith in a modernized way.”

Linza, Polito and classmate Kylie Krzewinski are so invested in the school’s theater department that they volunteered last fall to head a show for MQA students. The trio directed “Willy Wonka” in November.

Krzewinski, a drama student for nearly a decade, said it was a natural progression to help mentor younger students. For “Godspell,” she said the high-energy production is dotted with serious moments that will stay with the audience.

“The parables are really fun to watch because of how they are told,” she said.

For freshman Niviah Andree, the thrill of the musical comes from the joy of feeling the vibe from the audience.

Her favorite part of the show is the song “Turn Back, O Man” and the specially choreographed dances.

“I believe the audience will enjoy the energy of the cast,” she said. “I think they will also enjoy seeing the blood, sweat and tears that were put into this production.”