High School Production of 'Avenue Q' Hits the Stage this Weekend

With Shorewood Drama Director Barbara Gensler wheelchair bound with a broken leg and no longer teaching, Shorewood alumni have returned to help pull together the especially challenging school edition of "Avenue Q."

Bill Trost, from the class of 1953, has put in about 500 hours with Shorewood senior Emily Hoffman to for the show. Alumna Holly Stanfield is assistant directing, and alumnus William Hindin is directing and conducting the music. Both are from the class of '72. Peggy Peterson-Ryan, who graduated in 1970, is assisting Hindin. And Helen Morrison, from the class of '74, is in from Tokyo to help with the choreography.

The show has been edited from the original version to make it more age-appropriate. Trekkie Monster, for example, has an obsession with social networking, rather than porn. Gensler said the play could be appropriate for a mature 10-year-old.

Avenue Q will run at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Sunday show was canceled because some students could not participate. Gensler and SHS Principal Matthew Joynt said they could not comment or provide details surrounding the show's cancellation.

"We were going to be challenged in terms of student numbers to put the show on," Joynt said.

After canceling the Sunday show, Gensler decided to add a behind-the-scenes event for children Saturday at 2 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office an hour before each show. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $8 for students and seniors.

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