THEATER A rehearsal on the outdoor stage.
Teen Angst, Set to Music
Designed by Emma Driker
Berkley High grad writes and produces play debuting at Ridgedale.
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
D
uring the pandemic, Rebecca Feber used a biographical story from the past to inspire plans for favorite activities, and the Ridgedale Players Theater in Troy is showcasing her creative approach with the help of many others. Feber combined an intense science leaning as a senior at Berkley High School with a devotion to theater and decided to write and produce a teen musical comedy to be staged for post-pandemic outdoor Rebecca Feber audiences. The script builds on knowledge soon to be expanded through engineering studies at Michigan Technological University in Houghton as well as stage experiences in community productions. Biology the Musical is based on what her calculus teacher, Todd Fadoir, said about Sir Isaac Newton’s discoveries during the Great Plague of 1665, and it
centers on advanced placement biology students and their teacher as they prepare for exams. The creative team, cast and crew — except for Fadoir as the teacher — are entirely made up of teens. Their show will run July 24-25 outside the Ridgedale Players Theater in Troy as a fundraiser for the theater company. “As a senior during the pandemic, I was really upset to be missing out on all the traditions of senior year, especially my shows,” said Feber, 18, also a director and actress who was in the choir at Temple Emanu-El. “Theater has been a big part of my life, and not knowing if I would be able to have a senior musical, I wrote this one. Each member of the production has been helpful and uplifting.” Feber, of Huntington Woods, became interested in community theater through her parents, Lisa and Kevin Feber, who have been longtime members of the Ridgedale Players.
Her stamina also is expressed through participation on the track and field team and the cross-country team at Berkley High. “The play takes place in a week of the life of the students,” Feber said. “I think everyone can relate to the characters. I’ve always liked writing, and I learned a lot about the process of writing by working on this play.” Feber also entered into the way lyrics are incorporated into a script. She collaborated with her friend, Sophia Bahnmueller, who composed the original music using GarageBand software. Together, they outlined the message of each song before Bahnmueller filled out the words. During the shows, recorded GarageBand instrumentation will be heard. LOVE OF STAGE Feber, who takes the role of Josie, has enjoyed roles in Peter Pan, Child of Eden continued on page 40 JULY 22 • 2021
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