Montgomery Catholic Elementary Student Leads Wetumpka Depot Players

Many of us enjoy taking on challenges and testing our limits. For one Montgomery Catholic elementary student, that challenge will be leading the Wetumpka Depot Players in a full production this December.

“I like a challenge,” said Olivia Harbin, a fifth grader at the Montgomery Catholic St. Bede campus. “I like to push myself to do things that scare me a little.”

Olivia will be playing young Laura Ingalls, the child who would eventually become Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the autobiographical Little House on the Prairie book series. The Wetumpka Depot Players, a community theater group that performs in their very own theater in downtown Wetumpka, is putting on A Little House Christmas, a heartwarming holiday story set on the prairie. In this adaptation of a Laura Ingalls Wilder story, the Ingalls family has invited friends and family to their house for Christmas. Not everything goes according to plan and the adults and children must come up with creative ways to make Christmas special for each other.

Olivia was inspired to audition because of her family’s love of the Little House on the Prairie books and television series. When she found out that the Wetumpka Depot Players was putting on a Little House production, she immediately asked her mother if she could try out. Having taken part in many school plays, Olivia discovered that she loved being on the stage and wanted an opportunity to perform in a bigger venue.

“I’ve always wanted to be in a big production,” said Olivia. “I love acting so much.”

The rehearsal schedule has been demanding, especially for a young student. Starting in early September, Olivia has rehearsed with the Wetumpka Depot Players four days a week. She has had to balance school, homework, choir practice and performances, church, and family events with play practice. Olivia admits that keeping her grades up has been tough, but so far, she has kept up with all of her schoolwork.

Olivia’s performance schedule will be just as demanding. In her first three days of performances alone, she will perform three times each day. Tickets for A Little House Christmas have sold out so quickly that the Wetumpka Depot Players have had to add an additional matinee to the schedule. When the season is over, Olivia and the rest of the cast will have performed twelve times in front of a full house. While being in front of such a big audience can be intimidating, Olivia said that she is ready.

“I’m really nervous,” she said. She then added with a smile, “but I can’t wait to get started!”

Montgomery Catholic Drama Performs Alabama Stories Scene Program

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School’s Drama Department put on an epic show to commemorate 200 years of Alabama history. Set on train bound for Huntsville, a house in Tuscumbia, a public library in downtown Montgomery, the fictional town of Maycomb, and a child’s bedroom right before bedtime, Alabama Stories is a vignette depicting different aspects of Alabama culture and history from all over the state. Borrowing scenes from various plays, Alabama Stories featured actors from elementary through high school. Snippets from "Alabama Story," "Zelda at the Oasis," "The Miracle Worker," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Rocket City, Alabam'," and "Big Fish" took the audience through high, low, and revolutionary moments set throughout the state.

The students worked hard and had to overcome several logistical challenges to successfully pull off the production. Elementary students had to travel to the high school campus for rehearsals, which often ran late into the evening several days a week. Many of the actors participate in other activities, and there were days when football playoffs, cross country meets, and robotics competitions conflicted with play practice. Additionally, many of the actors had never been in a high school production before and had to learn principles of stage presence and voice projection. In spite of all of these obstacles, the play went off without a hitch and to great applause from the audience.

“I am so proud of all of these students,” said Drama Department Director, Kate Berry. “It was an ambitious production, but they pulled it off beautifully.”

The spring drama production will be Thoroughly Modern Millie, a story about a small-town girl who moves to New York and gets swept up in the big city lifestyle. We look forward to that amazing performance!

Montgomery Catholic Student Marches in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

While many of us will be at home on Thanksgiving Day, enjoying time with family and eating a turkey dinner, Montgomery Catholic senior Bobby Crawford will have been awake since about midnight Central Time, getting prepared to perform in the show of a lifetime. The Montgomery Catholic senior was chosen to be one of 185 musicians and 40 auxiliary who will be marching in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Led by Auburn University’s Dr. Richard Good, the band is comprised of the country’s most talented high school musicians, flag-bearers, and dancers.

Bobby currently serves at the drum major for the Montgomery Catholic Marching Knights, but his primary concert and marching instrument is the trombone. Inspired by Montgomery Catholic graduate and Great American Marching Band alumna Anna Catherine Barranco, Bobby submitted his application earlier in the Fall and was quickly accepted to take part in the Macy’s parade.

“They required a video application,” said Bobby. “I had to demonstrate musical ability, marching, and various horn positions. It was pretty intense.”

Bobby will travel to New York City on Saturday, November 23, and rehearse with the rest of the band every day leading up to the parade on Thanksgiving Day. While there are a lot of fun activities built into the week, the practice schedule is demanding and requires a high level of dedication from each performer. The Great American Marching Band is the last band on the parade route and serves as a lead-in for Santa Claus.

“I am really excited,” Bobby said about the upcoming trip. “I have never been to New York, so it’ll be an adventure.”

The Marching Knights have won several “Best in Class” awards this season, including top drum major. Bobby himself is an accomplished musician, earning the first chair spot in the All-State Red Band in 2019 and many solo and ensemble accolades. He plans to continue with marching after graduation and intends to audition for the Cavaliers drum and bugle corps.

Viewers can watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC affiliate stations on Thursday, November 28. More information on how to watch or stream it will be posted to the official website: www.macys.com/social/parade

Montgomery Catholic Students Bring Home Gold for the USA in World Martial Arts Games

Siblings Heather and Peter Walski competed for Team USA in the World Martial Arts Games in London, England in late October and brought home some serious hardware. Both Heather and Peter competed in and won gold in their age groups in Traditional Japanese Weapons. Peter went on to also take home gold in Creative Weapons while Heather took home bronze. Both also performed well in Open Hand and came in fourth.

The 12^th World Martial Arts Games took place in London from October 25 to October 27, 2019. Around 500 athletes of different ages and martial arts disciplines from 20 countries around the world competed in kata and weapons demonstrations, grappling, sparring, and wood and brick breaking. The 13^th World Martial Arts Games will be held in 2021 in Acapulco, Mexico.