It has taken a lot of work for Tony Hambrick to get into the character of Jerry Gorman.
"It's the most difficult role I've had," the 18-year-old said. "For the most part, I'm an upbeat and outgoing person. My character is the complete opposite. He's a shy and timid guy. It's a difficult role, but I've grown into it."
Gorman is the lead character in Flight of the Lawnchair Man, the musical the Cross Creek High School drama department will perform at the Fringe Festival in early August.
The Fringe Festival, held each year in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the world's largest arts festival. This year, it will feature more than 2,000 performances and more than 18,000 performers.
Nine Cross Creek students and eight chaperones will leave for the two-week festival July 29.
"This is a huge honor for our students and our school," said Leah Soderberg, the school's drama director. "I'm very excited to take this talented group of students to have an experience that will be life-changing. It will definitely transform how they view the world."
Mr. Hambrick said he is looking forward to the experience.
"This is the biggest highlight of my high school career," he said. "It's going to be amazing to spend two weeks surrounded by the arts and meet people with the same interests."
Fellow cast member Brian Wells, 18, agreed.
"We get to show the American side of theater, but we also get to see how plays are performed in other parts of the world," he said. "This is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for all of us. Not many students can say that they have performed a play overseas."
Flight of the Lawnchair Man is a musical about a man who dreams of flying and finds a way to do so -- without a plane. The message is that all people should pursue their dreams, no matter how much others discourage them, Mrs. Soderberg said.
"The show itself has been really inspiring," she said. "It's a play that everyone will love. The songs carry a lot of meaning, and by the time the play is over everyone in the audience will have been touched deeply by something in this play."
The group will perform the play for the community Friday and Saturday and on July 24 and July 25 in the high school's theater.
Proceeds from the performances will be used for the trip.
Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Flight of the Lawnchair Man
WHEN: Friday; Saturday; Thursday, July 24; Friday, July 25. Doors open at 7:30, and show starts at 8 each night.
WHERE: Cross Creek High School, 3855 Old Waynesboro Road
COST: $10 adults, $5 children
INFORMATION: (706) 772-8140, ext. 225
DONATE
The Cross Creek High School drama department is asking for donations for its trip to Scotland for the Fringe Festival. To donate, contact Leah Soderberg at (706) 722-8140, ext. 225.
Comments
It started out at 16, now it's 17 with almost 1 chaperone for each student. Other than their performances, what else has the group done to raise money to attend the festival? IMO it still sounds more like an all-expenses paid vacation to me, with the school's drama director expecting everybody else to pick up the tab.
This woman wasn't too swift with the Augusta Players program she directed. Now here they are doing this at the last minute-
they had no idea beforehand? So they run this article after a little blurb was in the paper the other day. Need to give it a rest.
You have no idea. How about each participant has had to pay out of their pocket the full 5200 a piece to attend? There are royalties, venue fees, production fees and once they get to Scotland they have to pay for the right to perform. The Fringe Festival is about making money for itself. The High Schools that get invited are expected to pay for that privilege. It isn't a free ride. As for what they have done to raise money they have had numerous fundraisers, including a poorly attended drama camp, and are putting on this production four times before they leave. I don't get your animosity towards this group, No Longer Amazed. You leave a snide comment everytime there is an article on them.
no4word: IMO my comments have been to the point. All I have seen for the last 3 or 4 months are articles begging for money which started out at $40,000 ($5,000 for 16 people) and now has escalated to $80,000. Today you have added "royalties, venue fees, production fees and once they get to Scotland they have to pay for the right to perform," none of which has ever been mentioned before! In previous articles this trip has been portrayed as an 'honor' that not too many groups get 'invited' to. It has always appeared to me to be what I put in my 7:39 AM comment, "an all-expenses paid vacation" ... "with the school's drama director expecting everybody else to pick up the tab."
It sounds to me like you have some personal vendetta against either this school or this teacher. I am not associated with this group but was with one of the previous schools that went. I am speaking from experience. If the details haven't been reported that is the fault of the reporters not the group going. Our school had difficulty getting the word out also and some of the same comments were foisted upon us everytime we had a fundraiser. Yes, it is an honor to be going...but you have to pay for that honor. Where do YOU think the money should be coming from? And why are you so vindictive? I just don't get it.
No, no4word, I do not have some personal vendetta against either this school or this teacher. If you have been following this matter for the last 3 or 4 months you know that the thrust of my comments have been about the changes in the amount of money needed, collected, and the apparent lack of effort on the part of the people involved. There was even a remark attributed to the drama director about people not stepping up to the plate to support this extracurricular activity. There have been enough unanswered questions to make me sit up and take notice about what I read about this trip.
I'm with you NLA. I don't have a vendetta either but as a parent I can assure you that if my child couldn't afford to go, she wouldn't be going, especially if the $ wasn't raised. Our choir was "invited" to go to Italy some years back-most everyone, including myself, needed help to pay for the trip. We had a small committee, set up the guidelines for fundraising and distribution of the funds, all done well in advance, and did everything we could to come up with the money to go, and did so within 6 months. We were able to raise enough money to pay for the entire choir of 25-about $2500 each-to go on the 10 day tour. Spending $ was up to us. Sounds like there were lots of flaws and unfortunately at this point, begging the Augusta public to help out might be too late. Try again next time and get some organization into it. Also consider another director, tho, as she may be part of it. The Harlem drama school has it together, it appears from whenever they are going places.
no4word: Like your comment "How about each participant has had to pay out of their pocket the full 5200 a piece to attend?" If each participant has paid the full 5200 a piece to attend, then why in the May 15, 2008 edition of the AC "The school...has...collected $47,896.97," on June 19 they still needed an "additional $40,000," and on July 15 "About $7,000 has been collected, which is just enough for the first payment, but the drama students must raise $40,000." On July 15 I agreed with a comment by tchnga about accountability, and today I think that even more appropriate. The fund raising for this trip has been open to the public, which is more than I can say about the financial records.
I popped over to this article because I thought, how neat, some kids are doing a show like that dude that just flew his chair in Oregon. I was so surprised by the vitriole in the comments. So, whyme is from harlem high school. Gotcha. You can always tell when Harlem students are in the audience of another school's production because they are the rudest bunch of people ever. Harlem is in columbia county which gets funding from the school system. Cross Creek is in Richmond county. Richmond County doesn't fund the drama programs at their schools...they send it all to Davidson. Why are you all complaining about this article saying they need more money? Is there a gun to your head asking you to shell out some dough? All I've read is that they are going on a trip, they've worked hard putting it together, and they've gotten some support but need more. Why would they need to disclose records? really? You don't want to contribute...don't. Sounds to me like NLA needs to find a hobby....or better yet ...a job. You are following this way too closely.
salud: You seem to be a 'johnny come lately' to this discussion. Go back and read the last 3 or 4 months history of this to get the full story!
Actually salud, you seem to entirely new to any type of discussion on the AC. You will find out that everyone has an opinion, and as an A-RC resident I have been expressing mine about this for the last 3 months.
no4word: For someone who stated "I am not associated with this group" you seem to know one heck of a lot of specific details.
salud: I thought the discussion was quite civil until I was accused of having "some personal vendetta against either this school or this teacher," being "vindictive," and leaving "snide comments." The person who made those remarks, no4word, also commented "I am not associated with this group but was with one of the previous schools that went," which almost sounds like 'I am not associated with this group but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.'
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