Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School Students To Perform 'Rotten Apples'

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The theme of the play does not reflect the spirits of the cast and stage crew who are rehearsing and preparing for their performance of the School Play at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School.

The title of the School Play is Rotten Apples, which will be performed on Friday, Nov. 14, in the Middle School auditorium.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the curtain will rise for the start at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $8, but tickets are free for children under age 5 and adults over the age of 65.

The review summary of Rotten Apples, written by Tracy Wells, is as follows:

"A group of villains is locked in a mansion on a dark and stormy night. But with so many villains trapped together, will anyone make it out alive?"

But on stage and behind the stage, these Middle School students are the opposite of what roles they are playing.

The play’s student co-directors, Giorgio Russo and Elina Pahuja, each an 8th Grader, confirmed one afternoon during a recent rehearsal in the auditorium that the actors are certainly not villains.

"We love to lead people and make our environment better," Giorgio said when explaining his task. "We are one family."

Elina added:

"We want to make sure we're all on the right track."

One cast member who is relishing the entire scene is Snesha Roy-Choudhury, a 7th Grader who is playing the lead role of Rumpelstiltskin.

"I am so proud that I got the lead role, and I am having super fun," Snesha said. "It is a wonderful play and pretty funny, too."

That positive energy that hangs over the auditorium at rehearsal is noticed by Olivia Matko, who serves as the Middle School Drama Club Co-Advisor with Carla Fernandez.

Matko appreciates the time and effort put in by the students, but is thrilled over their attitude, too.

"The cast and crew have been working so hard over the past few weeks. We have already made so much progress, leaving us plenty of time to perfect and polish," said Matko, who is directing the show with Ms. Fernandez.

Matko concluded.

"It has been such a pleasure to work with this group of students; they all know how to have fun together, but also know when it is time to get to work. The cast and crew get along so well and have already gotten close these past three weeks. That is always my favorite part of working in the theater- seeing strangers become family."

Here are the cast and the stage crew for the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School production of Rotten Apples.

CAST

• Rumpelstiltskin - Snesha Roy-Choudhury
• Hagatha - Karina C. Flores
• Gingerbread - Mackenzie Csontos
• Hansel - Lillian Sapp
• Gretel - Zoey Halkiadakis
• Froggie - Cassidy Miller
• Red - Elyse Bosley
• Queen - Alexis Houston
• Stepmother - Katalina Orozco
• Bernice - Ishita Goutham
• Bertha - Natalie Kugelman
• Pinocchio - Vicky Sun
• Wolf - Holden Fechter
• Jack - Gabriel Vella
• Prince - Nathan Weinstein
• Herald - Sophia Wang
• Goldilocks - Cassie Carlina
• Cinderella - Paige Orlosky
• Snow White - Julia Grzeczkowicz
• Fairy Godmother - Alice Fan
• Pea Princess - Biel Rosales
• Bricks - Zoe Brower
• Sticks - Radissa Wibawa
• Hay - Jane Jelonek
• Cops - Gabriella Boardman, Claire Kipila, Jennifer Kurzweil, Rhoda Trey
• Giorgio Russo - Co-Director
• Elina Pahjua - Co-Director

STAGE CREW

• Sai Sachin Sumant - Co-Stage Crew Manager
• Saivi Ahuja - Co-Stage Crew Manager
• Riley Guzman
• Saanvi Mithun
• Izzy Zimmerman
• Dillon Lu
• Sophia Pellegrini
• Lily Flessner
• Nate Azeri
• John 'Alex' Hajdu

— Submitted by Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District