April | 2015 | The Plaid Line

HPSH Thespian Society Presents: The Apple Tree

By: Maeve Gimpl

Save the date!

Highland Park Senior High School theater students are performing the Broadway musical, The Apple Tree in May. Adults and children of all ages are warmly invited to come and enjoy this show at the HPSH auditorium (1015 Snelling Avenue South).

Performances are 7:00pm on Thursday, May 28; Friday, May 29; and Saturday, May 30. There is also a matinee performance on Saturday May 30 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available at the door. Adults $8, students and seniors $6.

The Apple Tree is an upbeat and comical performance sure to be entertaining for people of all ages. It’s a combination of three song-filled acts that all maintain the pattern of portraying Man and Woman throughout different time periods. The musical begins with the heart-warming play, “The Diary of Adam and Eve”, a story of the first couple on Earth and their adventures in Eden. Following is “The Lady or the Tiger”, which is a play consisting of an ancient royal kingdom with a princess, a brave soldier, and a very unique justice system. Finally, “Passionella” closes the musical with a fairytale performance about a yearning chimney sweep who is granted her wish of becoming a stunning, Marilyn Monroe-inspired movie star.

The musical is co-directed by HPSH Musical Director Kate Mendenhall and Park Square Theater Director Stephen Houtz. The community arts organization, Friends of Highland Arts, is supporting HPSH’s well-anticipated spring musical with promotion, volunteer coordination, and fundraising through advertising sales and concessions. www.friendsofha.org

Highland Park Senior High invites both new faces and old to their spring musical. Come support the Theatre and Music students and programs at HPSH. The Apple Tree is sure to offer plenty of smiles and a night of pleasant entertainment.

As many of you may have noticed, the halls are buzzing with talk about new installments on the first floor girls bathroom– the mirror and trash can. There has been much discussion about what exactly is the cause of the increased amenities. As students, there have been private complaints for years about the lack of mirrors in the bathrooms, but these concerns haven’t reached the administration…Until now. “This came out of student concerns,” says Ms. Morton. At an SPPS facilities planning meeting, several students, Juniors Katherine Jossi, James Farnsworth, and Ryan Ross, mentioned the want for mirrors and bathroom amenities. Soon enough, the Highland Park head engineer, Kevin Martinson, was taking the step to ensure that these needs were met.

This story emphasizes a functional link between the administration and student body, and shows the reward in students being more vocal about what they want. Increased communication between administration and students could be an important channel to articulating student needs that are often overlooked. The mirrors are not the end; thanks to the work of several students, there is more to look forward to. Highland Park will also be the recipient of at least two new drinking fountains with a feature to fill water bottles. Of course, having nice things comes with responsibility. Ms. Morton cautiously reminds students that “If you like the changes, take care of them!”

Audrey Dombro is a junior at Highland Park Senior High.

Natalie Duncan (11) was also a contributor to this article.