Blue Forest Theater Academy, a local community theater for high school students, is very busy right now. The theater, colloquially known as “BFTA,” has just confirmed casting for their spring production, “Footloose.”
BFTA usually performs two plays a year: one in the winter semester, and one in the spring. A few months ago, they performed “Into The Woods” for their winter show, which was a huge success.
“I was the Baker’s Wife [in “Into the Woods”] and I shared the role with Sierra Hostetter,” fifth-year BFTA member and RCHS sophomore Abigail Woodford said. “It was a great show altogether and the cast was amazing.”
Most recently, the cast list was finished for “Footloose,” which will be performed in three weekend shows in the first week of May.
“Footloose” follows a teenager named Ren after he moves to a small town where dancing is banned because of a local church pastor’s wishes.
Key characters in the play include Ren, the male lead, Ariel, daughter of the pastor and the female lead, Willard, and Rusty, who are supporting characters, and Shaw Moore, the pastor who pushes for the prohibition of dancing.
As for what to expect, Woodford says that “Footloose” is a visual feast. Those who attend performances can expect upbeat music, an interesting storyline, and entertaining dances.
“You can definitely expect big dance numbers because ‘Footloose’ is all about dancing and we have great choreography. ‘Footloose’ has all the good vibes…it’s going to be an amazing show,” Woodford said.
Woodford also encourages anyone considering joining the Blue Forest Theater Academy or the Rockbridge County High School theater programs to do so without hesitation.
“If you want to do it, you should definitely give [theater] a try. It’s a great environment to be in and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” Woodford said.
Readers can expect more details about performance dates to follow soon. Anybody interested in joining the Blue Forest Theater Academy can visit their website for more information.
