The stories of wanting to fit in while standing out, seeking out acceptance and love, wondering if chasing a dream is a goal or a distraction are among the themes taking center stage in “A Chorus Line: Teen Edition” performed by the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) All-County Thespian Troupe.
Students from the seven high schools have spent part of the summer rehearsing for the show and working behind the scenes to produce “A Chorus Line: Teen Edition” Sept. 8 through 10 at St. Charles High School. The teen edition of the show edits out some of the profanity and more mature themes of the original show.
CCPS theater teachers first began mulling the idea of staging an all-county musical while chatting during the Maryland Thespian Festival last January.
Ben Simpson, a theater arts teacher at St. Charles, said CCPS has staged all-county plays in the past, but never a musical. “The only way to make it happen is if we did it over the summer,” Simpson said.
The time crunch, along with bringing students together from different schools, meant the musical selection had to be one where they could hit the ground running. Since “A Chorus Line” is one of Simpson’s favorites, he suggested it as the all-county inaugural musical. “It has a limited set, limited costumes, it was a little more accessible,” he said. “It’s a fun story the kids can really delve into character-wise, and they can really embrace the real people that they are portraying.”
CCPS theater teachers started pitching the show to students before the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Most of the students had no idea what the show — which debuted on Broadway in 1975 — was about.
“I heard ‘A Chorus Line,’ and I thought I get to sing. We’d be singing, standing in a line,” Joshua Pelzer, a Westlake High School senior, said. “I get here and saw all this dancing and said, ‘Oh, my gosh.’” Pelzer, who has had roles in Westlake’s productions of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “In the Heights,” and “The Descendants,” said he didn’t mind sacrificing part of his summer break to memorize lines and learn dance steps. “I’d rather spend my summer cooperating and being with everybody,” he said.
Bringing together actors and tech staff from different schools went smoothly. Students interested in theater tend to share interests and cheer each other on. “You have great dancers, you have great singers, great tech people,” Pelzer said. “You put that all together and it just shows how amazing Charles County really is, performing arts wise.”
St. Charles senior Ricaria Lawson admitted to being a bit nervous about auditioning for the show, eventually landing the role of Diana Morales. “It would be a privilege to work with some of the most talented people in the county,” she said. “I was onboard, and I was really excited about it.”
During the early 1970s, Tony-winning director and choreographer Michael Bennett worked with friends who were performers on developing the show. The stories told during the musical were sourced from true stories of performers and inspired by others heard in auditions. In the show, while performers come from various backgrounds, have different experiences and trauma, there is something universal about all the stories.
“What I like about the show is how we get every individual story,” said Pelzer, who plays Paul San Marco. “There’s not a main character. We’re not following Pippin or SpongeBob. We’re following Diana, we’re following Paul, we’re following Connie, Zach. We’re getting each story and how they meld together. I like it because you can find yourself in every single character on that stage.”
Lawson said she thinks “A Chorus Line” will resonate with new audience members as it has for nearly 50 years. “These are real people. It’s gritty and talks about the fears and real possibilities the dancers might face if they can no longer act or dance,” she said. “It leaves the audience wondering what they would do if they could no longer do what they love.”
Lawson has been active in theater at St. Charles where she has acted in “Legally Blonde,” “The Wiz,” and “Chicken & Biscuits.” She was the stage manager for “As You Like It,” and would like to continue to study theater in college. Working on a show with students from various schools has built bridges in the CCPS theater community. “I met some of my closest friends in the last few months,” she said. “I feel like we’ve built a family.”
If you go:
“A Chorus Line: Teen Edition” will be staged 7 p.m. Sept. 8 and 9, with matinees at 2 p.m. on Sept. 9 and 10. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens. CCPS employees can receive a complimentary ticket with presentation of CCPS badge. All shows will be staged at St. Charles High School at 5305 St. Linus Drive in Waldorf. Tickets can be purchased at mhsdrama303.booktix.net. Concessions will be sold before the show and during intermission. The concession stand only accepts cash.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,598 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).