Up the Down Staircase" is a funny and touching story of a committed, idealistic, teacher at Calvin Coolidge High School in New York City. The teacher, Sylvia Barrett, is in her first year of teaching and hopes not only to teach well, but to find meaning in her work. The role of Sylvia will be played by Khori Rogers in the Centreville production.
"I'm really excited about taking on the role of Sylvia," said Rogers. "She goes through a lot of experiences and emotions, which gives me an interesting acting challenge. Plus, she's a really likable character." Khori is a senior at Centreville and a 4th-year drama student. She plans on attending New York University in the fall.
Also starring in the show is Andrew Clare as Paul Barringer, an English teacher who provides a romantic element to the story. Andrew is also a senior and 4th-year drama student. He plans on attending Old Dominion in the fall. Andrew's character has become somewhat jaded about teaching and he finds that he is attracted to Sylvia, because "he sees a lot of himself when he started teaching and he'd like to get that back."
"Up the Down Staircase" also includes an ensemble cast of more than 30 students. The story, based on the book by Bel Kaufman, is one that the whole family can enjoy.
As a tie-in, teacher Kristen Sherer's advanced marketing classes are working with the theatre company on promoting the play.