PHOTOS: Amadeus at Reading Memorial High School

Students performed Amadeus, a play about the death of Mozart, May 4, 5 and 6 at the Performing Arts Center at . 

The play was a bittersweet undertaking for Director Bill Endslow as he will soon retire after 19 years in Reading. He has been teaching since 1976.

"It's very exciting that it's this show," he said of the play being his last.

According to Endslow, he knew it was going to be a good play and had been working on it since March with his students. 

"This is my favorite script for a non-musical. I saw it on Broadway and did it once before," Endslow said. "We have an incredible cast."

There were about 48 students in the cast and approximately 90 on the tech team who worked to build and paint the set, configure lighting and ensure that every other aspect of the play ran smoothly.

Tech Director Alexandra Popken said that the entire set had taken since March to build and paint. 

"So many hours of set build with parents and drama club members," she said. "Lighting took one, very long, Friday night."

Senior Alex Deroo played Antonio Salieri, which he referred to as his dream role.

"This is an amazing show, brilliantly written," he said.

Deroo will study theatre at Salem State next year.

Sophomore Julia Crowley played Constanze and enjoyed both the complexity of the play and its characters.