For the past few months, the students in York Drama have been spending their time dancing, singing and practicing climbing in and out of a large fruit for their upcoming production of James and the Giant Peach. Although, the actual performers work extremely hard to put on a spectacular show, the audience may overlook all the other students and adults that make the show happen.

Costume Crew, consisted of only 5 students last year; Becca Rogers, Anna Triska, Megan Nolley, Kellyann Gallagher and our graduated leader Ella Digregorio. In only one year, it has made an 180-degree turn with the crew now consisting of over 15 students.

The costumes for James and the Giant Peach have taken weeks to complete. The Bugs, Ladahlord, Aunt Sponge, and Aunt Spiker are being rented from a costume designer in  New York, but the rest was left up to them.

“The show is extremely cartoony, so everything had to be really over the top and colorful. So that was kind of a challenge for us because we try not to spend too much money on extravagant costumes but sometimes we have no choice,” Becca Rogers, junior and one of the costume designers expressed.

These over the top extravagant costumes include; white seagulls with hand glued feathers, thrift store clothing for vagrants and hand picked dresses for the scene Money on that Tree.

Costume crew isn’t just a bunch of girls in the basement with their sewing machines, they  always have music blasting while constantly playing jokes on one another.  If the costume room isn’t filled with laughter something is very wrong.

“They are very supportive of the cast and underrated especially by other cast members and out of all the people in the show they have the most fun,” said junior Shamus McFarlane.

Let’s not forget the stage managers either. James and the Giant Peach also wouldn’t be a show if there weren’t  tremendous stage managers to help out. Zoe Lawless and Abbie Lockie are to thank for that. Although, it doesn’t seem like a hard job, it is. It gets very stressful because the stage managers do practically everything.

“Stage managers are dream makers, they make it all come true,”  Junior, Kaitlin Cadagin explained.

Zoey Lawless and Abbey Lockie attend every rehearsal to help the drama kids practice their lines and lyrics to the songs and choreography. They run errands for the directors like buying a toothbrush for teasing the wigs. When it’s showtime they are in charge of making sure the props are where they always need to be. They take care of the light and sounds cues and they also help with the set changes. The show couldn’t go on without them.

So come on out to see James and The Giant Peach this weekend and support a phenomenal group of young actors.  Remember at the end of the show when the cast points behind stage, don’t forget to clap and cheer for those hard working students as well.