This message was reiterated Nov. 14-15 through the school’s fall musical, “Seussical Jr.”, where the cast and crew explored some serious topics in the most fantastical way possible. 

Northbrook’s David Kang, a seventh-grade student, portrayed the iconic Cat in the Hat. Kang explained that in the midst of his character’s self-created commotion, there are morals to be found.    

“The Cat in the Hat himself is one who stirs up a lot of excitement,” Kang said. “In fact, he can even create a lot of disorder. But Dr. Seuss has a way of integrating important life lessons into the storyline, even with all the chaos. The main theme in ‘Seussical’ is about helping the characters to believe in themselves. ‘Seussical’ teaches everyone that you don’t need to change yourself for someone else.” 

Eighth-grader Joshua Zingerman, of Glenview, plays Horton, learning all too well what it’s like to have his beliefs questioned. 

“Horton has his own set of beliefs but everyone else says that he is crazy,” Zingerman said. “There are moments when even Horton starts to doubt himself, but his faith is eventually restored thanks to some of the best lines in the performance, which are  ‘a person is a person no matter how small’ and ‘ I said what I said and that’s what I meant.’ These lines can be applied to all aspects and all stages of life.”

For Alexandra McGarry, an eighth-grade student from Northbrook, the lessons embedded in the storyline have certainly helped her stand up against any naysayers. 

“I’ve heard that our choice to present Seussical seemed like a silly decision to some,” she said. “Many people thinks it’s too goofy and asked why we would want to do it. But, I believe is that it takes courage to get up on stage, particularly when we are presenting a storyline that can seem a little crazy to some.”

Glenview’s Maia Abrahams echoed McGarry’s sentiments adding, “above all, ‘Seussical’ is a really lively, happy story that reminds us not to believe in ourselves and ignore the negative.”

Just as important as the bravery that comes with being on stage is the ability to make the show run smoothly from start to finish. 

Glenview eighth-grader Aaron Haskin ensured each actor had working microphones and that the lighting and sound complimented the storyline.  

While this is not his first time handling such responsibilities, it was the first time he managed these aspects of a production at the school’s brand new Cafetorium. 

The Cafetorium is just as it sounds — a multipurpose room that can be used for everyday lunch purposes but can also be transformed into auditorium space for productions and guest lectures. The modern-day facility added some new and welcomed nuances to his role. 

“The cafetorium and the equipment that comes with it is incredible,” Haskin said. “We now have these barely visible headsets and a whole new ability to speak to the stage manager from various parts of the theater. It used to be we would literally have to run across the stage to relay a message, now we can handle any last minute changes or fix problems behind the scenes smoothly. It’s been a great experience and allows crew to really make the production seamless.”

Maple Students Perform "Seussical, Jr." To Packed Cafetorium on November 14 and 15!