Students Stage Killer Performance

July 24, 2024
• For two nights this summer, Needham High School will transform into cliquey Westerberg High circa 1989 in a local production of Heathers: The Musical.

Story by Cameron Morsberger
Needham Student Theatre, a nonprofit and student-run theater troupe, is staging the teen edition of the show, adapted from the cult ’80s film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The show runs Aug. 2 and 3 at 7 p.m. at the NHS auditorium.

“Heathers” resembles an older generation’s “Mean Girls”: a trio of high school girls — in this case, all named Heather — rule the school, but an outsider infiltrates the group, eventually leading to their downfall. “Heathers,” however, takes a darker twist when its lead mean girl, Heather Chandler, is “accidentally” killed, becoming the first of several deaths in the show.

Heavy themes of suicide, violence and assault make “Heathers” a show not every school-sanctioned production can pull off, said co-director and 2024 NHS grad Amiya Tess.

“It’s a show that they don’t typically get to do because it’s a little more edgy. The high school probably wouldn’t do it,” Tess said, describing the show as PG-13. “A lot of people are here because they love the show and they always wanted to do the show, and now they can.”

During rehearsal last week, the cast warmed up with improv games before running through choreography for “Big Fun,” a house party ensemble number. Actors also performed “Seventeen,” an emotional duet between the two toxically entangled leads, Veronica Sawyer and J.D.

Though she isn’t yet 17, rising sophomore Kate Memory will portray Veronica, a part that parallels Cady in “Mean Girls,” whom she played in a production last summer. This time around, she’s enjoyed being able to “dig deep into acting” opposite Ben Gilman, who plays her love interest J.D.

Memory describes Veronica as a high school senior just trying to survive until college, flying under the radar until she stands up for others, which makes her a target. A favorite moment from the show is “Dead Girl Walking (Reprise),” in which Veronica finally takes action and is “done with J.D.’s B.S.,” Memory said.

“Since it’s such a dream role, it feels surreal,” Memory said. “Theater, it’s exhilarating… I’ve been listening to the music, singing the songs for so long for the show, so to get to actually do it is a dream come true.”

“Seventeen” is popular among other cast members, including Fiona Byrne, who plays hippie teacher Miss Fleming. The rising sophomore also does publicity for NST, which she joined last summer for its inaugural show, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

For Byrne, NST is a “close and accessible way to do theater over the summer,” and its smaller cast size brings the young performers together in a way high school theater sometimes can’t.

Though she isn’t on stage during the song, “Seventeen” represents “the emotional climax of the show,” Bryne said.

“We see a lot of humanity out of both Veronica and J.D. and it’s just such a beautiful song and they perform it so, so incredibly,” Byrne said. “It’s just so amazing to watch.”

Amid the chaos, jocks Kurt and Ram — played by junior James Casale and senior Max Scott, respectively — offer some comedic relief, but are among the story’s antagonists. While aspects of the show get dark, “Ram and Kurt balance it out,” Casale said.

Both are featured throughout the show, including in “You’re Welcome,” which Scott calls their “creepy song” — the lyrics offer a glimpse of an attempted assault.

While Casale performed in “Spelling Bee” last year, this will be Scott’s first summer theater production. A fan of “Heathers” prior to auditions, Scott said performing the show himself has been exciting, and he’s happy to be doing it with NST.

“Look, I’m not the best dancer. I’m still in it. Even though I’m not a dancer at all, I’m still in all the dance numbers. I get to dance with my friends. We all laugh and have fun,” Scott said. “I think that’s such a big community builder to not just focus only on talent, but to focus on the community that is NST.”

Co-director Aria Lehri’s first theater show was with Saint Joseph Summer Theatre, a longstanding local theater institution that evolved into NST last summer. Lehri, also an NHS graduate, said the new program aims to continue the SJST legacy.

“Even though we’re growing into something new and hopefully something bigger and better, we can still pay homage to SJST,” Lehri said, “because it’s been such a staple in the Needham community and surrounding towns for 30-plus years.”

Ticket sales and donations at the show will go toward the program’s central budget, which funds costumes, sets and other expenses, Byrne said. NST is supported by Needham Community Education.

The production is sure to be “Big Fun.”

“With student theater, you get that [community] spirit, plus it’s like hanging out with your friends,” Tess said, “but also you get a really amazing show out of it, which is awesome.”

Editor’s Note: A video segment on the production is now available below.

This video ran as part of the Needham Channel News, a weekly newscast airing on The Needham Channel every Thursday at 7:30pm. The Needham Channel News can be found on the Community Channel: Comcast 9, Astound 15 and Verizon 29. Most Thursdays it also can be viewed on our HD Channel on Verizon 2129, Astound 613 and streaming on this site.