On Thursday, March 30, crowds of Lick-Wilmerding High School students and families shuffled into the Ehrer Theater, enthusiastically awaiting the dramatic draw of the curtains. Behind the scenes, actors and crew alike prepared to perform the school’s 2023 pop-rock spring musical: Jasper in Deadland.
The musical follows the story of Jasper, a teenage boy who ventures into the depths of Deadland to rescue his beloved friend Agnes from a seemingly inescapable death. The script mirrors the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, who, like Jasper, are a love struck pair lost in the underworld.
Both Agnes and Jasper face an onslaught of challenges from school and family life, leaving the two feeling hopeless and alone. Yet in the end, the strength of their connection empowers the two to overcome these hardships in order to regain their lives.
The production starred Nate Feinland ’24 as Jasper and Meirav Roisman ’25 as Agnes. The pair beautifully portrayed the hardships and pressures brought on by high school and family life, while captivating the audience with their vocal, acting and dancing skills throughout the entirety of the show.
Thursday nights’ performance consisted of a diverse audience of students, parents and faculty, and displayed a lively opening to the three-day event, but according to stage manager Eamon Brannigan ’24, the real fun occurred during Friday night’s performance.
On Friday, March 31, LWHS students crowded the aisles, pushing to fill every last seat in the theater. When the actors finally took the stage, the audience let out a deafening roar and remained engaged — laughing, gasping and cheering at every possible opportunity.
“Friday shows are always the most fun for the cast and crew, as well as the audience. People really bounce energy off one another, and it’s safe to say the energy on Friday was through the roof,” Brannigan said.
Feinland also noticed the spike in energy for both the performers and the crowd during Friday’s show. “I love the environment of being on stage and performing in front of my friends. Their energy and that intensity is unmatched, and it causes everyone to elevate their performance,” he said.
“I thought the show was fantastic,” Carolina Fox ’24 said. Fox attended the musical on Friday and shared how surreal it was to see her friends perform. “It’s like they transform into different people. On stage, they truly are their characters,” she said. “It’s mesmerizing.”
The production concluded with a Saturday matinee. The audience consisted mainly of parents of the cast and crew. Although the crowd was less interactive than Friday for the final show, the cast and orchestra put on another seamless and energetic performance.
Jasper in Deadland, originally written and composed by Ryan Scott Oliver, was published in 2017 and has been performed by large and small theater companies across America. Tony Asaro, Vocal Music teacher and Musical Director at LWHS, attended graduate school with Scott Oliver and has attended the show twice before.
Asaro introduced the script to Miguel Zavala, Theater teacher and Director at LWHS, and together they selected Jasper in Deadland as the 2023 spring musical. Both directors were encapsulated by the whimsical, energetic script that allowed for the actors to push themselves and grow as performers. In addition, the budget fell perfectly into the theater department’s four year budget plan, which called for a medium expense production for 2023.
The four year plan follows the pattern of medium–small–medium–large budget musicals that was set in place after COVID-19. After the pandemic, the theater program decided to expand its production rates, coming out with a musical annually in contrast to the previously biennial productions.
Asaro and Zavala both pushed to expand the theater program and provide a Musical every year to continue the students’ theatrical education.
“When you are making a musical, especially as a young person, you are learning about yourself. You are challenging so much of what you think you can do,” Asaro said. “Musicals teach collaboration; musicals teach imagination; musicals teach technical vocal and acting skills. It’s too valuable of an educational opportunity to only do it every other year.”
In addition, Asaro and Zavala shared that musicals touch on important ideas that often relate to pressing topics in the world.
Jasper in Deadland highlighted significant themes of perseverance and hope that were familiar to many in the audience, especially after enduring the onset of anxieties and obstacles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Asaro explained one of the primary factors for selecting Jasper in Deadland as the 2023 Spring Musical was the positive, optimistic message it provided to the audience as both Jasper and Agnes find ways to appreciate life despite its many hardships. “COVID was and is still traumatic,” Asaro said. “But this show has a hopeful message, and I think that’s healing. It’s important to remind ourselves of the joys of life.”
Zavala noted similar takeaways that he wanted the audience to experience. “It’s really all about connection and hope,” he said. “Accepting who you are and not giving up on life.”
