Alyvia Rigg, Samuel Caycedo and Austin Blakely. They spent a recent Saturday building sets for the upcoming musical. {David Volz}
Austin Blakely has a passion for theater.
A senior, he has been a part of the J.P. Taravella Drama Club for four years and is playing a lead character, Pseudolus, in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
“I love acting and performing, and I hope to continue being active in musical theater in college,” said Blakely. He was among a group of club members building sets for the upcoming musical.
Last year, he earned superior ratings for a solo and duet performance at the Florida State Thespian Festival. He also earned a perfect score for a solo at the Florida Junior Thespians District 7 competition.
“It takes effort to be a good actor, but it is something I love,” he said.
Alyvia Rigg, president of the drama club, is playing Marqus Lycus, a lead role in the musical. “I love the theater and I want to continue doing it in college,” she said. “We are a family and we have fun together.”
Rigg has studied theater extensively outside of school and will pursue a career in the performing arts. She was working on building three houses on the stage. Rigg has enjoyed the camaraderie of the theater program.
Cast members of the upcoming Taravella musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Samuel Caycedo plays Hero in the musical and is a publicist for the club. “I have had many positive experiences in theater, and I hope to continue acting after high school,” he said.
The Taravella drama club is performing the musical in the fall rather than the spring so that it can be evaluated and improved. If the musical receives a strong evaluation, the entire performance will be given at the state thespian competition.
The musical is set in ancient Rome, and the plot revolves around the clever slave Pseudolus, who devises a plan to win his freedom. The drama includes mayhem, mistaken identities, chases, and hilarity that show audiences why the show is a cornerstone of musical comedy, according to Lori Sessions, drama teacher. She has led many successful plays and musicals over the years at Taravella.
The musical will take place on September 25, 26, and 27 at 7 p.m. at the Taravella auditorium at 10600 Riverside Drive.
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