Tuck Everlasting: The Immortal Play

WGHS’s drama department presented Tuck Everlasting this past weekend to family members and students at Walnut Grove Theatre. A positive discussion about this well-produced play has circulated among students. 
​by Ansleigh Hester

Play Overview 
Tuck Everlasting (the play) is based off of the book by Natalie Babbitt. Also inspired by the movie starring Alexis Bledel (as Winnie Foster) and Jonathan Jackson (as Jesse Tuck). This play is a drama, romance, and has some underlying fairytale elements embedded in the production. This play takes place in a rural New England town called Treegap, New Hampshire in the early 20th century. 
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This play paints a story about a family that has access to an immortal youth “fountain”. The main character (Winifred Foster), a young girl from a prominent family, is offered the secret to eternal youth by two young boys in the town. Stage Agent explains, “She then has to decide if she wants to join her new friends in immortality, or if she will live out her normal life.”

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Student Reviews 
Audience members of Tuck Everlasting talk over the show in a positive light. Eleventh grader, Annabelle Adams, particularly loves the dancing in the show. “I liked the dancing in the show. Shannon Hayes did a really good job choreographing the dances,” she explains. 

Eleventh grader, Caleigh Goldstein, especially likes the emotion the actors/actresses had while performing their part. “I liked how the actors showed their emotions when doing this play, especially since it is a very emotional play,” she says. 

The plot of the play and the meaning behind it is the most well-liked feature of the play. “The ending was really cool. They did a good job at showing off that the Tucks didn't die, and even though Winnie did die, her life would live on with the Tucks,” Caleigh informs. The play embodies the “live and let die” philosophy. Meaning, live life to the fullest and death is natural. Annabelle and Caleigh both agree that their favorite scene was the dance sequence with the "man in the yellow suit". 
 
​Annabelle and Caleigh’s favorite character is Winnie. “My favorite character was Winnie because I can relate to her character development,” Adams elaborates. Goldstein ​agrees, “My favorite character was Winnie. She was really cute and really embodied being a 12 year old [even when the actress is eighteen].” ​

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Cast Experiences on Stage
Backstage crew and cast members' preparation was well-placed because of how well the sets were established. Tenth grader, Samuel Seybert, was a part of the set/prop crew for Tuck Everlasting. 

“We were tasked with setting up the sets for each scene, painting the sets, and changing the scenery during the performances,” Samuel discusses. Building the sets is such an important part of the production process because it has the perfect look for a particular scene, and it has to withstand weight and pressure. 

“During the early rehearsals we were building, painting, and setting up scene structures. The sets and props teams were connected, so we worked together with both sets and props,” Samuel details about the building process. 

It’s also critical that the props can be moved with ease for a better flow for the play. “In later rehearsals, we would move the sets with their transitions, so everything blended together properly,” Samuel says. 

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​Tenth grader Jackson Knight plays the magician in the ensemble and Winnie’s son at the end of the play. “This is one of my first shows at Walnut Grove. I want to prove myself to the audience during this show,” Jackson states. Before the show, Jackson likes to remain positive to encourage his fellow Thespians. “I feel like if I have a negative attitude the people around me will be affected by that,” he comments. After the show, most of the cast members felt calm because they had confidence in their performance. “I felt a lot better [after the show] than I thought I would. At the end of it, we were all super happy with the show,” Jackson notes. 

​The Meaning Behind the Play
The theme of the play is perfect for this time in the year because many of the senior Thespians will be graduating. “I think the timing of the play made it a really good show. Tuck Everlasting is about moving on and life [in general]. The timing was perfect because a lot of seniors are leaving [or “moving on” from high school],” Jackson Knight vocalizes. Samuel Seybert also agrees about the timeliness of the play, “I believe that the meaning of the show is quite important. It’s also ironic to me because it’s our seniors' last show at the school, and the show is about changing and moving on.”


As the school year winds down, remember the legacy the Thespian seniors left behind. Many seniors in WGHS will be missed, but as Tuck Everlasting says, “Life's got to be lived, no matter how long or short. You gotta take what comes,” Natalie Babbitt.

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