On December 6, Frederick High’s Unified Theater program put on their second annual production, a play written by the students themselves called On the Track of the Snowman. This 30-minute show, directed by Mrs. Butterworth, presents a solid mystery with the energy of an old Saturday Morning cartoon. From the opening line to the curtain closing, the Unified team put on a brilliant performance.
The story follows narrator Bill Weber (played by junior Kade Wright), an undercover detective on a train to find a “snowman” who has stolen something precious. Bill interviews everyone on the train in the hope that he can discover who is behind the snowy sabatouge. His interrogations are interrupted when the train is suddenly blocked by a snowdrift, leaving everyone on the train strained and trapped with a theif.
Like most mysteries, there are surprising revelations along the way that are laugh out loud ridiculous, yet the actors play the scenario as believably as possible. The commitment to the reality of the situation is astounding and sets up the absolutely shocking ending. Will Bill thaw the icy reception of the passengers and catch a cold criminal, or will he be snowed by the suspects and get lost in the blizzard?
The yearly Unified Theatre production is the end project for the Unified Theatre class. The Unifed programs at Frederick High provide students with special needs opportunities to perform at the level of even their most talented peers, who often are mentors for these students.
”Last year, I did Unified Theatre, and it was the best thing I ever did,” said junior Joey Summers, one of the mentor students. “Being able to share and to share my love of theater with other students is absolutely magical, and I couldn’t wait to do it again.”
The students in the Unified Theatre class don’t just perform onstage—they all have a hand in creating the story of the play and writing their own unique character. Rehearsals are done during class instead of after school, and the class constructs the set and selects the costumes. Mentor students run the technical elements like lights and sound and stand backstage to help actors that forget their line or get confused.
As much as the mentors have fun helping, the stars of the show are the actors. “My favorite part of the show is getting to be the clown,” said Aracely Caro.
The technical elements are a highlight of the show. The set uses train benches and curtains, and the actors move around the cumbersome seats like they would on a real train. Since the play all takes place in one setting, the show uses spotlights to isolate characters that are talking privately or to the audience.
The makeup really puts the magic into the show, as the personalities on the train run the gamut from clowns to princesses. The wide range of character was important for the Unified team, as they wanted the train to feel strange and a place unlike any that the audience had been before. The music, which is also performed by the Unified team, makes the show even more mysterious and really makes every person look like a suspicious snowman under their costumes.
Senior mentor TJ Mogenson said, “I think it’s so cool that we can offer this opportunity to all the Unified students, and it’s been really fun getting to work with them and for them to create this story. The improvement that I’ve seen from last year to this year and being able to see how this program is moving forward is really special.”
While the show was one-night only, I would definitely recommend catching their next production. The Unified shows are fun, family-friendly, and free.
