Senior Vanessa Arvizu-Ersland (center) performs in the lead role of Deloris Van Cartier alongside fellow cast members – nuns of the fictional The Holy Order of the Little Sisters of Our Mother of Perpetual Faith – on Thursday, Nov. 14, during the Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School Drama Department’s final dress rehearsal of the musical comedy “Sister Act.” Turn to the back page for a full photo gallery from the Thursday run- through which took place before the weekend’s Saturday and Sunday performances. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

REINBECK – Members of the Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School Drama Dept. staged another terrific musical comedy production last weekend with their fall performance of “Sister Act” under the direction of Cecilia Shutt, Courtney George, and Greg Tessendorf.

Much like last year, senior Vanessa Arvizu-Ersland absolutely slayed in the lead role by taking on the iconic Deloris Van Cartier, a character made famous by Whoopi Goldberg in the 1992 film of the same name on which the musical by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater is based.

Arvizu-Ersland’s portrayal of the fictional nightclub singer – who, after witnessing her gangster boyfriend commit murder, must be hidden away in a convent in Philadelphia for her own safety – hit all the right notes while also showcasing her near-perfect comedic timing. But it was her Act Two performance of the song “Sister Act” that cemented her legacy in the upper echelon of performers to ever grace the G-R auditorium stage. Quite fittingly, Arvizu-Ersland’s moving performance of the 11 o’clock number’s chorus – “I’m part of one terrific sister act” – served as the perfect descriptor for the entire production.

Alongside Arvizu-Ersland, seniors Nattalee Brinkman as Mother Superior and Cameron Sieh as Eddie Souther (‘Sweaty Eddie’) also delivered knockout performances. The entire cast – which included 10 Rebel football players who seamlessly went from taking down Lenox in the state semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 13, to final play practice later that evening – performed with both skill and soul.

As part of the playbill, senior cast members provided advice to future G-R thespians with Arvizu-Ersland urging newcomers “to put everything you can into a role. There is no such thing as a “little” role because you need all characters to create a good show!”

Arvizu-Ersland performing the 11 o'clock number "Sister Act." PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

For her part, Brinkman encouraged the next crop of Rebel performers to “not hesitate and sign up immediately. The musical will allow you to strengthen your confidence and give you the opportunity to make so many great friends and memories!”

Finding the time to produce such a quality, polished production year after year continues to be another feather in G-R’s cap. As a small school district, practically every cast member listed in the playbill wears multiple hats during play season.

“Our students are an incredibly talented group and an incredibly involved group!” the directors wrote in the playbill. “We have football players, cross country runners, volleyball players, cheerleaders, and FFA members (and successful ones, too!) who all make the time to share their talents with the community. We don’t want to sell them short, so just know how much work these kids put in for our school and let them know how much you appreciate their work!”

On the final page of the playbill, the directors further thanked all those who made the production a success including:

*Mr. Fisher and his first-hour class for building the bulk of our set that we’ve been able to accumulate over the years, and the new scenery-on-wheels pieces for this year!

Nattalee Brinkman as Mother Superior. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

*The Fine Arts Boosters for helping fill in the gaps and providing us with anything we need as we go.

*The parents, Janet (the amazing ‘Grandma Janet’ Schildroth), and Travis George for feeding the cast.

*All the teachers who let us borrow kids at odd times throughout the days.

*Mr. Bonjour (Superintendent Caleb Bonjour) and Mr. Breyfogle for their support and encouragement.

*The business office for keeping up with all of our POs!

Cameron Sieh as Eddie Souther ('Sweaty Eddie'). PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

*To the custodians for keeping our space clean, usable, and presentable!

*All of our sponsors for the playbill!

*To all the football, cheer, and basketball coaches, and Mr. Rankin for being flexible and allowing these students to really do it all!

*And last but certainly never least, the directors also thanked the senior cast members – who will be incredibly missed next season! – including Vanessa Arvizu-Ersland, Cameron Sieh, Carly Wilson, Nattalee Brinkman, Shelby Norton, Lydia Bystricky, Akeelah Blakely, Aliyah Clark, Drew Eilers, Owen Koester, Hunter Roberts, Michael Boyd, Brenden Hurley, Dylan Mathern, and Mallory Wrage.

“Thank you for continuing to be leaders on and off the stage!” the directors wrote. “Whether you’ve been with us for [one] year or [six] years, your work and attitudes have been appreciated! We can’t wait to see where your adventures take you.”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Truly, a terrific performance once again by the G-R High School Drama Dept.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER