Pine-Richland students prepare to stage 'The Election' for fall play

It’s election season at Pine-Richland High School.

On Nov. 21 and 22, the high-schoolers will put on Don Zolidis’ “The Election,” which revolves around a tightly contested race to be student body president.

The story follows Mark Davenport and Christy Martin, two candidates in the race after an embattled student body president resigns in disgrace. Davenport assumes he will cruise to victory in a special schoolwide election. After all, his only opponent is nerdy Christy Martin, a straight-A student who wants to eliminate football and flood the cafeteria with vegan-only options.

However, when a mysterious Super PAC gives her an unlimited budget, things start to get very ugly very quickly. The Election is a zany, ridiculous look at our sometimes zany and ridiculous political system, shown through the lens of a small-town high school election.

Pine-Richland seniors Conor Barcaskey and Elise Duckworth play Mark Davenport and Christy Martin.

Director Kathy Morrissey found “The Election” especially timely because of the current political climate.

“ ‘The Election’ is a very timely show with the climate we find ourselves in as a nation, and I knew the students would all be very excited to bring it to the stage. They are all incredibly intelligent and much more politically savvy and involved than I was at that age,” Morrissey said. “In addition, I knew I would have a large group of students trying out, so I needed a show that could accommodate them all in some capacity.”

There are 41 students in the cast and 20 in the crew. Auditions took place the day after Labor Day, and the cast got started right away. The students rehearse four days a week after school and come in on Saturday mornings to build the set.

For Duckworth, the best part about playing Christy Martin is how many similarities she shares with her character.

“While Christy (my intense character) has a tendency to take things to the next level, I see the intensity of her character within myself. I also am currently the president of Student Government at my high school, so doing a show where we are running for that position brings back the pressure and intensity of that experience. It’s super fun to relive (it) on the stage with some of my closest friends and under great direction,” Duckworth said.

On the other hand, Barcaskey’s favorite part of playing Mark Davenport is just how dissimilar they are.

“The best part about playing my character is that, a lot of the time, he can be pretty unlikable. Being someone that always strives to be the best version of myself, it’s fun to be a little more unhinged and short-tempered when playing this role.”

The challenge of playing Christy is balancing the intensity with likability, according to Duckworth.

“While I want the audience to understand how passionate she is about accomplishing her goals, I also want the audience to sympathize with her in her losses and hopefully win them over as the ‘candidate,’ ” Duckworth said.

Barcaskey’s main challenge in playing Mark is trying to keep his energy consistent throughout the production.

“The aspect of this role that is most challenging is matching the entire production’s overall energy. Being onstage for long periods of time at once, being able to remain consistently lively and ecstatic from beginning to end can be a considerable obstacle,” Barcaskey said.

Just a month out from opening night, the students are working hard to ensure the performances run smoothly.

“I can’t wait for the audiences to see the fantastic comedic show we have been working on. Comedy is arguably harder than drama, so the cast has been working diligently to bring out some really funny lines and scene work. We hope the audience connects with the story, and even inspires a younger audience to take a risk and join the fall play. It is such a great community of learners, and we are excited to show you what’s possible when passionate people come together in November,” Duckworth said.

A free preview for senior citizens will be held at 4 p.m. Nov. 20. The show will be performed for the public at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 and 2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 22. The full cast list and tickets will be available online at prhs.pinerichland.org/athletics-activities/fall-play.