Oakton High Students Join Theater Company in Production of 'Sound of Music'

When The City of Fairfax Theater Company opens The Sound of Music tonight, two Oakton High students will be among the cast.

Chelsea Townsend and Shanelucas Ramsey will perform various roles in the show's two-week run, most notably as Leisl (Townsend) and Franz (Ramsey).

Though both attend the same high school and are performing in the same theater company this summer, they have taken different paths.

Townsend has been in the business since the age of 7, performing in various commercials and videos. Preferring to pick and choose the types of roles and productions she wants to be a part of, the 17-year-old rising senior has never been in an Oakton High show.

"I can pick what I want to do better and have it work in my schedule so I don't have to worry about exams or school at the same time," Townsend said.

For opening weekend, Townsend will play a nun. But next weekend she will take on the role of Leisl, a part she is excited to play.

"Most characters that I've played have either been a lot younger than me or a lot older," Townsend said. "The fact that she's right in the same age range is a nice feeling. I feel like I can kind of channel the character better."

Shanelucas Ramsey, a 15-year-old rising sophomore, gained an unexpected interest in acting when he was in seventh grade. On a visit to New York City, he reluctantly tagged along with his mother and sister to see Legally Blonde on Broadway.

"I really liked it and that's what really got me interested in drama and acting," said Ramsey, who performed in Oakton High's production of Oklahoma! in May.

In The Sound of Music, Ramsey plays Franz, a Nazi and is an understudy for Rolfe.

Of the three, Ramsey most enjoys playing Rolfe because the character shows growth by the end of the play.

"I like that he switches from bad to back to good," Ramsey said.

As with any experience, this production has taught Townsend and Ramsey a few things.

While Ramsey is happy to have learned to waltz, despite it being what he described as a "painfully hard" learning process for him, Townsend learned to let go and trust the director knows what's best for the production.

Regardless of how they got to this point, both see the same future: obtaining a theater degree in college to pursue a career in the field.

The show premieres at 8 p.m. today at Lanier Middle School. The show continues this weekend with an 8 p.m. performance Saturday and a 2 p.m. show Sunday. Next weekend, curtain is set for 8 p.m. July 29 and 30, and 2 p.m. July 31.