Tioga Central High School to present ‘Myth Adventures’ this weekend

The Tioga Central High School Drama Club is pleased to announce their production of “Myth Adventures: Five Greek Classics”, for two nights only.

A dedicated group of 29 students – 21 cast and eight crew from grades nine thru 12 – will be bringing to life the world of Ancient Greeks in the Tioga Central Middle School auditorium on Jan. 13 and 14, with curtains rising at 7 p.m. 

“Myth Adventures,” a comedy/drama written by Eric Coble, is set in Greece in a time of monsters, gods and heroes. Written in 2007, this play breathes life into such ancient myths as the story of Orpheus, and the story of Icarus and Daedalus. 

Audiences can expect to fall in love all over again with characters like Zeus, Hera, Hades, and Dionysus, as the students portray some of history’s earliest stories with some very modern twists. 

The play, split into five separate acts, has been a work in progress since early November, with students rehearsing for over 80 hours in preparation for their two performances for the public. 

Director Heather Matthews and assistant director Mike Carlson worked with students to not only learn the lines, mannerisms and lives of their characters, but also to encourage life skills like team building and problem solving. 

Kylee Thetga, a Tioga Center junior and five year member of the Drama Club, stated, “Drama Club lets you truly engage. You can learn something new every day at rehearsal, like life lessons, people skills, and reading people’s faces and expressions.”

But Drama Club isn’t just life lessons and stage directions. In the words of Mr. Carlson, “Drama Club inspires students to try new experiences, and gives them a way to express themselves in ways that they can’t do in sports or other activities.” 

Thetga went on to add, “Drama Club is like a family. I like coming here and feeling like I’m part of something. This is my sport.” 

Olivia Klett, a senior at Tioga Center, added her opinion, stating that Drama Club allows students to have the unique experience of being on stage. Klett, a self-admitted sufferer of stage fright, went on to say that Drama Club lets her step out of her comfort zone, and then have something to show for it.

“We are here every day from three to five o’clock, and it’s a lot of work and time to put in, and it’s nice to be able to show that off,” said Klett. 

A third Drama Club member, James Birney, sophomore, said that the best part of Drama Club is that it allows him to express his feelings in a way that he can’t at home. He added that the best part of performing, for him, is that while being on stage alone can be scary; sharing that experience with friends turns the stage into a place of safety. 

Tickets for “Myth Adventures: Five Greek Classics” are available at the Middle School auditorium door the nights of the show. For an evening of entertainment running 90 minutes, tickets at the door cost $5 for students, $6 for senior citizens, and $7 for general audience members. 

Presale tickets, running at $4 for students, $5 for senior citizens, and $6 for general audience members are available through Drama Club members. 

For more information, call the Tioga Central High School office at (607) 687-8001.