As the curtain prepares to rise on the Foran stage, the cast and crew of the Mane Stage Players work hard to ensure the musical runs smoothly each year. It takes many hard-working months to get ready for the annual play.

After auditions in November, rehearsal is every day depending on the role. Each rehearsal is focused on a specific song and the cast members who sing or dance along. They must break down the counts and exact moves so that in a few months the musical is perfect. 

On top of that, every group of the cast works within a budget to buy and create their costumes. Some things are bought online while others are handmade to fit the scene. 

Junior Lexi Kochanowicz plays the role of Sour Kangaroo and runs the choreography for “Havin’ a Hunch,” “Biggest Blame Fool,” and “Chasing the Whos.” Kochanowicz has been a part of the play since her freshman year but has been starring in musicals since elementary school. This year she has one of the main roles and is working hard to set up choreography. Kochanowicz states, “I take vocal lessons and warm up my voice before we sing” These are the extra steps she takes to ensure she is prepared to 

Although a big part of the play is focused on the cast, the musical would not run without the crew and artists. The artists are the ones who create the sets as the background and color of the play. The crew is needed to run backstage to remove and place props for the actors on stage without being seen.

Junior Jackson Storey is just one of the many crew members of the Mane Street Players.

Another important role is that of the sound specialist. For the past three years, Thao Pham has run the sound for the play and controls the microphones. A few weeks before the show, Pham goes to rehearsals to get a sense of the plot and the order of the scenes. 

The week before the show, the cast runs through the play multiple times, looking for small issues to fix. At the same time, Pham checks the microphones to ensure that the sound isn’t too loud during the show. 

She states, “ I usually listen by ear to figure out how loud a person should be and when to turn on or off their microphone.” 

From auditions to opening night, the cast and crew go through to get the play running. Seussical is being shown on February 28th, 2025 at 7:00 pm, and on March 1, 2025, at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm.