By Alexis Johnson-Williams
This year TPT is proud to announce the 2024 spring musical is Six the Musical!
Captain Shreve’s Theatre Performance Team (TPT) is beginning production on Six: The Musical directed by drama teacher Heather Hooper. Six highlights the six wives of King Henry VIII; Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. On January 12 the cast list for the musical revealed who got cast as the queens, so let’s meet them.
Sophomore Serenity White plays Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife. Serenity has been in TPT for two years, her passion for theatre came to life through a family member. When she was in the fifth grade, her aunt performed in the Shreveport Little Theatre’s production of The Wiz, sparking an interest for little Serenity. Starting in high school to pursue her interest in acting, this is Serenity’s first leading role.
“Finding out I was cast as Catherine of Aragon was shocking, I’m excited to explore the character,” Serenity stated. “It’s exciting to be able to perform something so iconic.”
One of Serenity’s favorite songs from the soundtrack is Haus of Holbein and Get Down.
Junior Teresa Franks plays Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife. Teresa has been in TPT for three years. The arts have been a part of Teresa’s life since she was three years old through music. Joining Ms. Hooper’s drama class piqued her interest in theatre. Combining her passion for music and acting, musical theatre was a perfect fit for her.
“I was thrilled to be cast as Anne, her character is so complex and funny, so I’ll enjoy bringing her character to life,” Teresa said.
A personal favorite from the soundtrack for Teresa is also is Haus of Holbein.
Senior Kaitlin Smith plays Jane Seymour, Henry’s third wife. Kailtin isn’t a part of TPT but has been in one play at Shreve prior to this. Having little passion for theatre before last year, Kaitlin joined TPT’s production of Descendants, which changed everything.
“I wanted to be a part of something that was bigger than myself. Doing Descendants gave me that feeling and improved my confidence,” Kailtin stated.
Joining Six came about through her sister, who is a member of TPT, where Kaitlin auditioned in order to spend the last of her high school memories with her sister. Getting the role of Jane came as a shock to Kaitlin cause she never saw the show or received a callback.
“I had it in my mind that I would get one of the backup characters, but getting a queen role. I was like “OMG this is insane!” says Kaitlin.
Listening to the soundtrack now, some of her favorite songs are All You Wanna Do and Ex-Wives.
Freshman Ashton Pouncy plays Anna of Cleves, Henry’s fourth wife. Pouncy has an overall creative spirit, so her love for musical theatre fits right in. Every year since she was in the second grade she has been in productions such as High School Musical, Lion King, Aladdin, and more.
“I found my love of theatre through watching movies and being a dramatic person, so it was fitting,” Ashton stated.
As a freshman Pouncy wasn’t expecting a lead role, since she’s never seen the entire show before auditions. However, she felt confident.
“Finding out I was cast as Anna of Cleves, I was joyful. I loved her attitude and felt it flowed similar to my personality,” Pouncy said.
Some of Ashton’s favorite songs from the soundtrack are Get Down, Don’t Lose Your Head, and All You Wanna Do.
Junior Anna Belcher plays Katherine Howard, Henry’s fifth wife. Doing drama with Ms. Hooper, Anna found her way onto the stage being cast as a lead in the fall production of Three Musketeers. Her love for theatre came about from wanting to combine her passion for dancing, acting, and singing.
“Being cast as Katherine, I had all the emotions: screaming, crying, and on the floor just full of happiness.” Anna stated.
A personal favorite from the soundtrack for Anna is “All You Wanna Do,” as that’s the solo song she will sing in the production.
Sophomore Salem Brossett plays Catherine Parr, Henry’s last wife. Salem found a home in theatre during elementary school, so joining TPT her freshman year was a no-brainer. The journey to the stage was a rather strange one for Salem, starting because of the hit tv show Criminal Minds.
“I’ve always wanted to act the way Matthew Gray Gubler does. I think he’s incredibly talented. From there I thought, why not give it a try?” Salem said.
Having played a leading role in last year’s musical Descendants, Salem was exhilarated.
“I adore Catherine! Her character I feel matches mine perfectly. Catherine’s emotions are intricate, so being cast, right away I knew bringing her to life would be fun,” said Salem.
One of Salem’s favorite songs from the soundtrack is Haus of Holbien.
To see which one of these Queens become divorced, beheaded, or survived, come out April 19, 20, and 21st to see Shreve’s production of Six the Musical.
“Six is a musical I don’t think anyone should miss! Everyone is going to be dancing and singing in their seats,” Heather Hooper stated.