For its final production of the 2018-19 school year, the Washougal High School advanced acting class wanted to challenge itself. The students wanted to test the limits of their abilities while learning new skills at the same time. They just simply weren’t interested in doing what they had done in the past.
At the same time, they remembered how much fun they had embracing nostalgia during their 1980s-era production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” the year before. They approached drama teacher Kelly Gregersen and told them of their choice: “The Awesome ’80s Prom,” an interactive play written by Ken Davenport that debuted off-Broadway in 2004.
“This show,” said junior Rachel Lyall, “is completely different from anything we’ve ever done before.”
The play, which will be performed at 7 p.m., Friday, April 19 and 7 p.m., Saturday, April 20, in the Washougal High School commons, features a number of elements that most of the actors don’t have a lot of experience with.
For starters, the production relies heavily on audience participation; several members of the crowd will end up in the play, and the audience votes for prom king and queen, a decision that’s critical to the outcome of the story. Therefore, the shows may have completely different endings on each night.