This January, the Diversity Theater’s production of Hadestown: Teen Edition will be the first 501 production to perform on the mainstage of the Kansas Thespian Festival, a state-wide event involving a majority of Kansas based high schools.

Performing on the mainstage means that every single student attending KTF, an estimated 1600, will watch the performance, an honor only given to five of the hundreds of shows adjudicated.
Because of the length of research and character study that went into this show, the cast is all very excited to bring their interpretation of their characters to the mainstage.

“Orpheus is this guy who loves someone he can’t get, and it is kinda tragic,” said Sophomore Leo Edmonds on the interpretation of his character, Orpheus. “But he doesn’t need to be pitied because he knew the consequences of his choices. He did what anyone would in his shoes.”

However, this is not just an exciting moment for the actors, but also the various crew, along with Senior Happi Rodriquez. Rodriquez conceptualized the Diversity Theater Class as a chairperson for the IDEA Committee.

“I’m proud of myself, and for everyone else involved,” said Rodriquez. “The work I started in April is finally getting paid off, it feels surreal. I was crying all day after it was announced.”
Now that the show is going to KTF, work will need to be done to get the show ready for the conference in January.

The cast members, along with lighting and sound crews, will make various tweaks and changes to the show leading up to its showing at KTF.

“I’m gonna do a lot of work with the guitar, because I actually did play the guitar in the show, but I’m going to play more chords than originally, so that it’s more guitar playing and less the track playing for me,” said Edmonds.