Actors Collaborating with Technicians (ACT) debuted their fourth annual production, “Heathers: The Musical.”
The play was directed by CPP theater alumnus Larry Mayorquin, who graduated in 2018 and Scott Robinson, who graduated in 2013.
The musical debuted on Jan. 24 and ran until Jan. 27, with all five shows sold out.
In the musical, the Heathers are Westerburg High School’s most popular clique, who with their power and popularity ridicule students such as Martha Dunnstock, a cheerful and overweight student who is best friends with Veronica Sawyer.
First-year theater student Taylor Gomer plays Veronica Sawyer in her first college show. Veronica is the very kind female protagonist who desperately wants to be popular, and decides she wants to become a Heather.
She succeeds in becoming a Heather; unfortunately this brings upon a series of deaths throughout the rest of the musical.
Having been obsessed with the Heathers for a couple years, Gomer’s goal was to become Veronica.
“I heard ACT was doing ‘Heathers’ a day before the audition and I was dead set on being cast as Veronica,” Gomer said. “I’m extremely grateful that Scott and Larry took a chance on me.”
Fifth-year theater student Jesse Alvarado plays Jason “J.D.” Dean, the mysterious new kid who meets Veronica and begins a romantic relationship with her.
Throughout the musical, J.D. wears black to represent the dark personality that his childhood brought.
The death of his mother became a crucial moment in his life that caused him to become an outsider and when he meets Veronica, he feels a special kind of love for her.
Alvarado felt he could relate to his character as he personally has felt like an outsider growing up.
“It has been a complete honor and I feel grateful to be doing what I love with a character who I could relate to to a degree,” Alvarado said. “I have felt like the outsider many times growing up and I was able to use those experiences and bring them to life in the character of J.D.”
As director, Mayorquin wanted to highlight that J.D. is not evil, and is really someone who comes from a troubled background.
“Even the most troubled people are capable of falling in pure, well-intended love,” Mayorquin said.
The entire process was very demanding as the actors only had three weeks before winter break to learn all of the music, choreography, lines and blocking.
Mayorquin was really impressed with how fast everyone was able to put the show together.
This was also Mayorquin’s first time directing, which was a dream of his, especially “Heathers,” which is a musical that he has loved for years.
This is not Gomer’s and Alvarado’s first musical. Both participated in productions in high school.
Alvarado has done a few such as “Grease” and “Hairspray,” and Gomer has done “Little Shop of Horrors” and “The Little Mermaid.”
Alvarado will be pursuing musical theater after graduation this upcoming spring and mentioned he will miss everyone very much in ACT for helping him pursue his passion.
Both protagonists fell in love with ACT because they were able to pursue their love for singing on stage since there is no musical theater department at CPP.
ACT meets every Tuesday in Building 24-1421 and is open to all majors.
