Marion High presents ‘Afraid of the Dark’ this weekend
Student writer
Marion junior Dante Snyder starts his day waking up 15 minutes before school starts.
He takes a quick shower, gets ready for school, and goes to English class. After school, he goes home and gets ready for work. At night, he does his homework, eats supper, and watches The Office before going to bed.
Freshman Shaylee Creevan also gets up in the morning and gets ready for school, then eats breakfast before heading to first hour. When she gets home, she talks with friends and does her homework.
What do these two have in common?
Both are taking part in Marion High School’s 2020 spring play, “Afraid of the Dark,” by James Reach appearing on stage at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The comedy focuses on a newlywed couple spending their honeymoon in a supposedly unoccupied mansion, only to find themselves in the middle of a mystery.
The cast also includes: Anderson Waddell, Amy Packham, Jessica Arevall, Christian Albin, Cassie Meyer, Chisholm Waner, Hannah Stubenhofer-May, Sadie Lange, Nathan Shields, Noah Slater, and Campbell Winter.
This is Dante’s fourth production with Marion High School. When he was a freshman, Dante joined theater at the urging of his friends and former director Mrs. Killough.
He enjoys the adrenaline rush of opening night and the meet and greet that follows each performance. He loves the conversations, and especially enjoys when he talks to people in character.
Dante loves seeing new people join the productions who wouldn’t normally do it. He urges community members to come and watch the show. “We’ve worked really hard, and I just feel like everybody who comes would have a good time.”
This production is the first for freshman Shaylee Creevan, who joined after talking with high school principal Travis Rogers.
“It’s getting away from my everyday stress and hanging out with people who I don’t really hang out with,” Shaylee said.
The production’s leader is Marion alumni and theater star Shayla Rahe, who enjoys experiencing the fine arts from a different perspective.
Rahe sees the theater program as an important tradition that would not be possible without local support.
“The students who have been a part of this have worked hard and they deserve the community support just as much as anything else,” she said.