Eudora High School theater students present spring play “Spy School”

Seniors M'cheila Rader and Caleb Reazin interact in a scene in "Spy School" during a dress rehearsal Wednesday evening.

BY SYDNEY HOOVER

Eudora High School will present its spring play, “Spy School,” this Thursday and Saturday.

“Spy School,” a comedy set in the 1960s, follows a normal teenager girl, Jane Doe, who is recruited by the CIA to be a secret agent. Jane’s mission is to find a Russian spy in an American high school who is trying to send top secret space information to the USSR.

“I usually look for shows that have at least 25 parts because we like to get as many students involved as possible,” director Angie Kennedy said. “Then I just look at what I think the students would enjoy.”

The story also tackles issues of sexism and empowering women as Jane faces difficulties in her family and her mission.

Eudora senior M’cheila Rader plays Jane in her first performance in a Eudora High School play. She said her mom encouraged her to try out for her senior year.

“Practicing lines is definitely the hardest thing because my character has over 400 lines so a lot of it was doing it outside of school, running it and it got the point where I would just say my lines to myself over and over again so that was really difficult,” Rader said.

The cast of Eudora High School's spring play "Spy School" bow following a dress rehearsal Wednesday evening.

Rader said her favorite part of the show has been seeing her classmates take on different, unique characters and seeing them portray these roles even outside of rehearsal. She said she found her fellow senior Caleb Reazin’s role particularly funny.

Reazin plays “dashing super spy” Blake Moore, who he describes as a “very interesting character.”

“I just really love to perform,” Reazin said. “It’s just a lot of fun for me to be able to be a whole new character.”

Kennedy said her students have “stepped it up” this year and that this year is one of the best casts and plays she has directed.

Performances will begin at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30. Tickets are $5 for ages 5 and up.

“It’s just a great way to support the students at the high school,” Kennedy said. “I think that the arts are underrated whereas, you know, we get a whole gym full for basketball games and these guys work just as hard and it’s just a nice way to pay tribute to them and all their hard work.”

Reach reporter Sydney Hoover at eudoratimes@gmail.com.

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