The East Theater Company will be putting on a stage adaptation of the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, directed by Gil Junger, on May 24th, 25th, and 26th. Although the play is a month away, it still felt like a good time to find out the ins and outs of what the student-directed play would be like. I asked some of the cast and crew members about their favorite scenes and other things related to the play, and boy, did they have a lot to say.

Rehearsal Sneak Peak

Amelia McKee, who plays Bianca Stratford, describes her character as “a spoiled brat who really just wants to be able to have a boyfriend.” When asked about the differences between the play and the movie, she explained that “The film version has a lot of cuts that we can’t really do in a play, so some scenes or lines aren’t there, but a lot of it is the same.” Cara Garber, who plays Mandela, Kat’s Shakespeare-obsessed friend, also adds, "There’s still bad words, but not as many. Especially with the teachers [scenes].” The rest of the cast agrees with the statement, with JJ Stunda, who plays Derrick the Cowboy, describing the play as “just built different. I can’t say I’m intoxicated.”

Despite the slight censorship, the actors are still super excited for certain scenes. Amelia stated she is “really excited about the prom scene… because everyone gets to wear really pretty dresses and suits and look amazing. And I kinda get to beat someone up, so...” Gloria

JJ and Arwyn Goofing Off Before Rehearsals

Russo, who plays Trevor, agreed with Amelia. She also said it was her favorite because it’s “the scene where Bianca beats the crap out of Joey.” Another trendy scene is the party scene

with Cara Garber saying, “it's so fun because everyone is on stage and we’re just fooling around dancing to music.” Bryn Gonci, who has numerous roles, is a big fan of the “I Love

You Baby Scene” written by Paul Anka, because “We’re going to have people from marching band actually come play the song on stage while Liam sings live music.” JJ Stunda adds that “Dom and I are going to play the main trumpet part, and it's going to be fire.”

The cast also shared what audiences should expect on opening night. Maddie Teague, a

member of the Ensemble, says, “ The audience should expect to have fun. The play is definitely humorous and funny. We’re always laughing backstage.” Cara Garber adds that

Stage Crew Members: Kylie, Lily, and Gen

If you do decide to come, you’ll see not only fantastic acting but the incredible stage crew! Anna Trout, stage crew manager, points out that they “help create the environment you see on stage.” Kylie McCormick, a stage crew member, mentions that stage crew likes “to move stuff around on stage. If you see the black blurs running across stage, that’s us. We’re like the shadow people.”

From what I’ve gathered and seen during my interview, the cast and crew of the play have been working hard to put on an outstanding performance. Make sure to come out and support the East Theatre Company on May 24th, 25th, and 26th for what Cara Garber describes as “just one big one act that’s actually two acts.”