SINCLAIRVILLE — Cassadaga Valley Central School’s Drama Club recently participated in a theatre workshop that focused on challenging their skills and preparing them for their planned attendance at Shea’s performance of “Wicked”.

Ricky Needham, Shea’s educator and performer, was welcomed into Cassadaga Valley to meet and discuss with the school’s student performers regarding Shea’s upcoming performance of “Wicked.” Needham dove deeply into the theme of the show, speaking on the intentions and meaning behind the production in order to get the students brainstorming new ideas. He asked questions such as “What is a cursed character?” and “What do we already know about Wicked?” to inflict a basic understanding of the show prior to their attendance as audience members.

The workshop allowed students to have thoughtful discussion and work on developing personal connections, and after that the student actors participated in theater games, including one called “Photo”, where students had to create a still image of a well-known story and others in the group had to attempt to identify it. This game allowed students to work on teamwork, acting skills and character development.

After building chemistry and gaining an understanding of “Wicked”, the students had proper preparation for when they witnessed the show live at Shea’s. The students expressed that they found the show to be incredible, featuring outstanding talent vocally, choreographically, and even within the structure.

“The set design really enforces the show and brings everything together,” Needham said.

The show featured a moving robot dragon above the stage, a live action robot Wizard of OZ face, beaming magic light rays, moving gears on the walls, and flying monkeys, keeping the eyes of the audience entertained for the entirety of the performance.

Cassadaga Valley director of musicals Nicole Zenns said she sees the Drama Club program benefiting greatly from workshops like this.

“I think it’s an essential experience for students,” Zenns said. “We see the way professionals convey character, diction, emotion, musicality, and their humanness.”

Additionally, Zenns said these workshops help with even more essentials within acting, mentioning how attending this show even taught her a couple things that she aspires to put forward into the school’s upcoming productions.

The students met with Needham a second time to discuss their thoughts about “Wicked” after seeing the show themselves. They further brainstormed a variety of themes within the production, mentioning aspects such as costume design and its contribution to the story line. The student performers were then able to identify the cursed characters within the show, building on their previous discussion from the first session.

In a private discussion with Needham, he stated that his favorite part of educating is “the inspiration (he) gains from watching younger performers step out of their comfort zones. . . to (him) that is the most fulfilling.”

Zenns expressed heartfelt appreciation for Needham taking the time to speak to The Valley’s Drama Club, and said she plans to continue the annual Shea’s trip for years to come.