North's Drama Club

It was that time of year again! Back in January, Valley Stream North’s Drama Club was preparing to perform their annual spring musical. This year’s performance, Mean Girls, is a popular, preppy musical about life in the satirized high school, North Shore High. Cady Heron (Delaney Dusel), a transfer student from Kenya, learns to navigate her new school and social life with the help of outcasts, Janis and Damien (Rachel Ezeadichie and Justin Levine). When she meets the socialite, popular girl group, “The Plastics,” Cady and her friends plan to infiltrate the group, take down its leader, Regina George (Samantha Salnave), and date Cady’s new Calculus crush, Aaron Samuels (Daniel Mejivar). Spartans prepared to witness the social drama, personal turmoil, and complicated love triangles of North Shore High. This performance was directed by North’s beloved English Chair, Lori Belbol, along with music director Mario Mannarino. The Drama Club was so excited to perform on April 17^th and 18^th.  

This year’s Fall play, The Suffragette’s Murder, continued the club’s trend of period pieces, taking place in July 1857, although it is a comedy rather than a drama. The Suffragette’s Murder takes place in the Mayhew Boarding House on New York’s Lower East Side. Mr. and Mrs. Mayhew (Daniel Menjivar and Lia Frederique) prepare for a suffragist’s meeting under the guise of hosting a séance with the help of Mr. Jennings (Justin Levine), an eccentric, Black inventor, old-fashioned and grumpy Mr. Albright (Isabella Reichbach) and Mrs. Adams (Samantha Salnave) and Miss Adams (Shea Flannelly and Delaney Dusel), two quirky, southern belles who recently moved to New York due to Miss Adams unwed pregnancy. Their hard work is interrupted by a surprise visit from the Constable (Rachel Ezeadichie), who, along with news of the dead Lauralee Hart (Shea Flannelly and Delaney Dusel), is set on uncovering the secret suffragist plot at Mayhew Manor. Hilarious hijinks ensue when, while conducting a séance to trick the Constable, Lauralee Hart appears to come back from the dead! If you missed the chance to watch this amazing show in person, the matinee performance was recorded and posted on YouTube. Directed by Anya Hixson and Chris Toffolo, this play was an absolute riot to watch and perform. Read about the experience of our beloved Ms. Adams below: 

Interview w/ Shea Flannelly 

How do you feel about the current state of production (and drama)? 

“I feel like the current state of productions are going very smoothly, especially with the new leadership of Mr. Toffolo for Suffragette’s. Things are going exceedingly well considering the circumstances. Everyone is doing their part to make this a great production. We have such a great community of people.”

What is your favorite thing about playing with Ms. Adams? 

“My favorite thing is the southern accent! And playing with someone who is a bit ditzy because I get to channel a different side of myself. I was nervous about doing a southern accent at first, but now it has become one of my favorite parts of playing her.”

If you were to give one message out to the cast and crew, what would it be? 

“Stay silly. I think the way that the cast works is that we all know each other, and we would not have as much chemistry on stage without silliness or without rehearsal. That takes a little bit longer because Lia F. is making everybody laugh. Having fun is such an integral part of the experience. If we all felt indifferent about each other, the Drama Club would not be Drama Club.”