As the Halloween season descends upon Coppell, the CHS9 theater department brings “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to life in the CHS9 Dome.
Set in the late 1700s, the author tells the story of main characters Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel along with the notorious tale of the Headless Horseman.
The play’s protagonist, Ichabod Crane, is portrayed by freshman Dee Raibourn.
“Ichabod Crane has a lot of sides to him,” Raibourn said. “I really enjoy playing the sides of him that are a little crazy and unleashed. It’s so important to interpret my character really well and play him to the best of my ability.”
Raibourn has acted in four theater productions and hopes to bring his skills and experience to the stage as well as to learn new techniques.
“My first role was at Coppell Middle School West in ‘The Beauty and The Beast’ as Lumiere and since then, I’ve really enjoyed working in these productions,” Raibourn said. “Every role is so different, and it’s so interesting to bring each character to life.”
Alongside Raibourn, freshman Claire McSpadden plays Katrina Van Tassel.
“I’m excited to play Katrina because even though she may come off a little shallow and in her own world, she’s a character with a lot of depth,” McSpadden said. “I want to portray her in the right light. Every show is different. Even shows played by the same cast in the same week. I think every night that the show plays will be a different experience.”
CHS9 theater director Eugenia Montoya hopes viewers see more than just the final product.
“Theater is a process,” Montoya said. “It’s not just the final product, a lot of hard work by the director, cast and crew goes into making a great show.”
As they approach the end of their journey on “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Raibourn and McSpadden cherish experiences they have made along the way.
“You will often hear that theater is a cult but it’s not one of those creepy cults, it’s a cult built off valued friendships and camaraderie that never leaves you,” Raibourn said. “Even though our cast may not get together for rehearsals and shows after this, the relationships we built are what matters.”
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” shows at the CHS9 Dome on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.
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