Larkin puts on 'The Legend of the Piper'
Variety is the spice of life, and the key ingredient in Larkin High School's upcoming performance of “The Legend of the Piper.”
The cast of about 30 students is the most diverse group that play director and Larkin drama teacher Eduardo Hernandez says he's ever worked with on a school production.
“I think (a diverse cast) is better because then (the production) belongs to the whole school,” Hernandez said.
“When you do a production it could be excellent, but if it belongs to one side or part of the school it's ‘them‘ not ‘us.' This time I think (students) will see it as a production, as an act that everyone is part of. It belongs to the school and it's good for a school that has wonderful combination of ethnicities.”
Students will take to the stage for performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Larkin High School auditorium, 1475 Larkin Ave., Elgin. Admission is $7, $5 for seniors and students.
According to Hernandez, “The Legend of the Piper” is a social comedy loosely based on the “Pied Piper of Hamelin” story. The play centers on a plot developed by corrupt politicians and the efforts put forth by members in the community to resolve the issues within their town.
“(‘The Legend of the Piper') is a social critique. The moral of the story is whenever we have a problem we are the ones to solve the problem. … We must provide our own solution,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez, who has been teaching drama and Spanish at Larkin for the past 16 years, first came to Elgin with his family from Puerto Rico. He has always enjoyed the ethnically diverse student population at Larkin, and is happy that a greater number of minority students are starting to feel comfortable enough to participate in more extracurricular activities.
“Years before, I will say that we didn't see (diversity) in (school production) casts. Part of my objective was to bring talent from minority groups. It reflects the variety of students we have at Larkin High School,” Hernandez said.
“It has been difficult to bring minorities into groups. It's not that (minority students) don't have the talent. For some reason they feel like (after-school activities) are not for them. As coaches and teachers, we try hard to figure what we can say to get them to join in.”
Hernandez especially encouraged students enrolled in Larkin's bilingual program to try out for the play to help them work on their English pronunciation and accents.
Though the play doesn't open until this evening, he's already fielding questions from interested students who want to be involved in the next Larkin production.
“I'm absolutely sure we'll get more (minority) students for the next production.
“More minority students see that this is a fantastic option for them and that they should be a very active part of the school. That school is not just from 7:40 to 3 p.m., but to stay after and join in the many activities we have for them,” Hernandez said.