Peru Drama Club Presents "Mean Girls"

PERU | "Who are The Plastics?" Cady Heron asks. The well-known Plastics, consisting of Regina George, Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith, are taking over the Nighthawks Auditorium on March 7, 8, and 9. "Mean Girls" is based on the Broadway show, which was inspired by the 2004 film. "This is a show that pushes the envelope a little bit, but it portrays what our students are going through every day," director Christopher Urban said. "Those things can be the bullying they face on a daily basis, the mean comments, the pressures they feel to stay thin and popular, and to always look perfect. So, while it is edgy and it is a mature show, I think it's really important that we don't ignore these realities because they make us feel uncomfortable." MEET THE GROOL CAST Mean Girls is about new student Cady Heron, played by Jocelyn Bessette and Evelyn Verity, who makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, played by Dante De Boos and Jake Slattery, and unintentionally joining The Plastics. Aaron's the ex-boyfriend of The Plastics' leader, Regina George, played by Destini Bresette and Alexa Markowicz. The comedic story follows Cady as she navigates the challenges of high school. Peru Drama Club cast members are having fun with their characters for this performance. While they are keeping the base of the original characters, they are tweaking them to make it their own. Bessette resonates a lot with her character, Cady. "She's very awkward and really smart," Bessette said. "I feel like sometimes we're not even acting. But it's also different because for the first act, I get to act like myself and then in the second act, I get to turn into someone else, which is what I really like about this show." For Bresette, Regina George's character possesses a lot of confidence and entitlement as the queen bee of the school. "I love Regina's complex vocals, and I love zhuzhing them up a little bit and making them own," Bresette said. "I also like the bonds this role has been giving me with new people that I never imagined myself being friends with. The Plastics have a close bond, so to have chemistry on stage, we've become really close." Nate De Boos, playing Damian, is a huge "Mean Girls" fan and has been following the Broadway show since 2019. Damian, who is close friends with Janice Ian and befriends Cady early on, is De Boos's favorite character. "I connected to Damian a lot, so it was easy to fit into the role," De Boos said. "Damian has this sort of confidence and is very carefree. It's the fact that he doesn't care what anyone else says is something I connect with a lot." Zoee Corrigan, playing Gretchen Wieners, has said the chemistry between the cast has been really good, and they are truly going to have a "really fun performance." Gretchen, who is one of The Plastics, really wants to be Regina's best friend and wants for the word "fetch" to rise in popularity. The other member of The Plastics is Karen Smith. She is portrayed in this movie as ditsy and dumb. Emma Springer worked hard to embody a character she doesn't relate to. "I have a hard time with her sometimes because of the way she speaks. She can be redundant, and she doesn't speak properly," Springer said. The show is double casted. The cast with Verity, Nate De Boos, Z Young, Brooklynn Daniels, Markowicz and Springer will be performing on March 8 and the March 9 matinee. The cast with Besette, Corrigan, Shult, Araya Pierre-Louis, Bressette and Slattery will be performing on March 7 and March 9. The show is presented by special permission with Music Theatre International. WHY IS THE SHOW FETCH? "Mean Girls" is a show filled with humor, drama and friendship. Cast members have some powerful vocals to perform these iconic songs and great dance moves. Audience members will experience a performance of laughter while also learning some valuable lessons. "This is one of those shows that will help you have a better understanding, especially from a parent's standpoint, of what children go through in high school," Bresette said. "The show does elevate it for dramatic effect, but children do deal with homophobic comments, racism, parties, friendship breakups." The show exposes some of the hard truths' high schoolers face. "If you can see past the crude humor and goofy, corny references, there is a very important message about understanding who you are and being strong enough to stay that way," Keiran Shult, who plays Damian, said. "Don't fall victim to peer pressure, and value what you have and not what you want." The big theme is that everyone is unique and beautiful. One of the final numbers highlights how everyone shines and everybody is deserving. "Bullying is not cool. It doesn't make you smarter or prettier. People truly don't know what's going on behind the scenes, so always think before you speak," Corrigan said. "Overall, be nicer to people." Community members can watch the show each night at 7:30 p.m. or during a matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets will be $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and can be purchased online at www.perudramaclub.org. Livestream tickets are available to watch from home for Saturday only and are $16.50. Mature content will be discussed throughout this performance.

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Peru Drama Club Presents "Mean Girls"

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