The 56th Summer Arts Festival is presented by the Springfield Arts Council and admission is free with opportunities for financial donations. Parental discretion is suggested as the show contains mature content.
Before there were “Mean Girls” there were “Heathers.” The 1989 dark comedy starring Wynona Ryder and Christian Slater is about a group of popular teens all named Heather and Veronica, the girl straddling the group and the rest of the school. It has become a cult classic.
Whereas there’s usually around eight weeks of rehearsals, the YAA are under the direction of Marty Johnson from New York, who is with the iTheatrics program there, and learning this new form could lead to something more spontaneous.
“We always like trying something new and wanted to see if this works for us,” said Krissy Brown, Arts Council associate creative director, who normally directs youth shows. “The first few days of rehearsal are always the most exciting and this way they won’t lose the energy of new show excitement. And it’s nice to have a different director so the kids can get used to others.”
There are 34 in the cast, which for the first time will include five YAA alumni. YAA is for students in middle and high school.
“Part of what is exciting is finding ways for these older kids to stay involved in Ambassadors and the current kids can learn from them too,” said Brown.
Brown likes doing something a little more mature and different with “Heathers” and dealing with themes important to teens in 2022. She said with so much going on in life, today’s kids are sometimes forced to grow up a little quicker, and one of the songs, “Seventeen,” asks “Can we be seventeen/Is that so hard to do?”
“It’s a good message for now,” Brown said.
The YAA are gearing up for a new season and taking applications for youths interested in performing arts. The group’s next project is a dinner theater in picnic-style in Veterans Park on Aug. 6.
HOW TO GO
What: “Heathers the Musical: High School Edition”
Where: Veterans Park, Springfield
When: Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Admission: Free; donations accepted
More info: www.SpringfieldArtsCouncil.org
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