The story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears has been told countless times in the nearly 200 years since it was first written, but Rochester High School has put a spin on the classic tale that makes it just right for the school’s drama students.
“Goldi — The Untold Story” is the fourth original play Elizabeth West, wife of Rochester High School theater teacher Doug West and a longtime volunteer with the school’s theater programs, has written for Rochester High School’s theater program.
In the play, Elizabeth West reimagines the titular Goldilocks as the young-adult leader of a group of thieves robbing the homes of local townsfolk who, unlike in the original tale, aren’t anthropomorphized animals.
“This isn’t the traditional Goldilocks, This is a more mature story. This is something with a bit (of a) different moral to it, and it’s a musical — it’s an opportunity for some of the cast to really show off their skills,” Elizabeth West said.
“My favorite thing about this show is we focused a lot on the choreography and the dances, so I think those are really good and are going to bring it all together,” said senior Aleena Hurd, who plays Violet.
Last year’s productions of “Aliens” and “Labyrinth” taught the Wests that going big — especially while the theater program is still recovering from the pandemic — isn’t always better, so “Goldi” was scaled back to have a shorter runtime and smaller cast than those two large shows.
“It’s an easier play to do. We’re rebuilding hopefully back to something bigger later on,” Doug West said.
“Goldi — The Untold Story,” is hardly a small production, however, with a cast of 18 actors who Elizabeth West ensured all had parts they could be excited to play.
“I write strong female leads. I write good parts for everybody, but I also write some lines for everybody. You don't have a chorus that's just sitting there with nothing to do. They all have some lines. They have more skin in the game that way. They're more excited about being here,” Elizabeth West said.
Some of the actors, such as junior Daniela Damone, have been involved in Rochester productions for years while others, such as seniors Keziah Gleason and Miles Ashlee, are relative newcomers to the stage.
For all of the actors and crew members involved though, “Goldi” is a fun production that allows them to mix acting with music.
“It’s a really fun play — it’s always happy and joyful,” said junior and assistant director Kyndra Gamez, who also plays Lark Byrd in the show. “It’s very colorful … it’s overall just fun to watch and very pleasing to the eye.”
Cast
Goldi: Alli McCrite*
Huntsman: Christian Crossland
Rose: Maya Ashlee
Violet: Aleena Hurd*
Jade: Hadley Hughes
Mrs. Brum: Daniela Damone
Lucy Brum: Emma Eiland
Sheriff: Keziah Gleason*
Major Beare: Miles Ashlee*
Ursa Beare: Paige Mendez Baker
Minor Beare: Corey Parris
Trading Trudy: Julie Danielson
Suzy Sales: Arwen Schoolcraft
BiggnBad Wolfe: Madi Beck
Scarlet Wolfe: Giuia Goretti*
Lark Byrd: Kyndra Gamez
Piper Byrd: Coreyna Parris
Mother Goose: Rochester High School Vice Principal Heather Brooks
Crew
Director: Doug West
Assistant Director: Kyndra Gamez
Choreographer: Guilia Goretti*
Dance Captain: Hadley Hughes
Lights/Sound: Dayton Gamez, Marshall Fields
Costumes: Elizabeth West, Daria Singer
Hair/Makeup: Hannah Grogan*, Aimee McCrite, Leslie Williams, Heather Brooks
Set Construction: Stage Tech Class, Shawn and Megan Ashlee, Heather Hughes
(*Graduating senior)
If You Go
“Goldi — The Untold Story” runs April 28-29, with one show at 7 p.m. each day, at Rochester High School, located at 19800 Carper Road SW in Rochester.
Tickets, which are available at the door, are $12 for adults, $8 for military and senior citizens, and $5 for students.
