Oz to Denmark

By: Lindsey Piel

Hackett’s new play, an adaptation of a short story titled The Little Match Girl, is opening Thursday night at Hackett. The enticing story features a young girl in Denmark burdened by poverty in a cold winter.

Senior Anya Philips who plays the mother says, “I’m excited for everybody to see the hard work the Hackett students put in. Everything from costumes to the set, to the play itself was student-made.” In addition to these student endeavors, it was written by one of the seniors at Hackett. Amanda Piel, author of the play says, “This Thursday, I am excited to see the whole production come together and I am really proud of all of the work that all of us in the theater department have done.”

Theater director, Mr. Rafferty says, “The Little Match Girl itself takes you about five minutes to read. So one of the great things is the backstory Amanda has built throughout the story. It’s really fun.” In addition to the play Amanda wrote for school, another version is in the works to be published. This one features a more intense story and references famous poems. This is an exciting first step for her, as she pursues her dream of being an author.

With everything being student-produced, some of the props for the play have been repurposed from previous productions. Props Head Roan Borton says he is currently “cutting up an axe to make it shorter”. The axe is from Hackett’s past musical, The Wizard of Oz. It used to be for the Tinman, but now it is receiving a makeover so the little match family can chop down wood on stage December 12-14.

Thursday through Saturday the showtime is 7:00pm. People can also go watch it at 2:00 pm on Saturday. In the words of the lead, Megan Burhans, “Come see it!”