Medway High School (Massachusetts)

For other schools of a similar name, see Medway High School.
Medway High School
Address
88 Summer Street
Medway, Massachusetts, 02053
United States
Information
Type Public high school
Established (New High School) 2003
Principal Timothy McCarron
Enrollment about 1000
Campus Country
Color(s)           Navy Blue and White
Athletics conference Tri Valley League
Average SAT scores 545 verbal
559 math
552 writing
1656 total (2014-2015)[1]
Website

Medway High School is located at 88 Summer Street, Medway, Massachusetts.

High school

The High School is the newest of the four schools in Medway. The building was completed in 2003 and the school saw its first graduating class in 2005. As of 2004 the high school had 771 students and 52 teachers, with a teacher:student ratio of 1:15. In 2008, approximately 217 10th grade students participated in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam. The passing rate was 97% for both the Math and English Language sections, and 89% for the Science section.

Sports

The Medway Mustangs have a strong athletic program in general, and have won a considerable amount (18) of State Championships in the past 30 years. Medway has been a prominent soccer town for the past three decades. The Mustangs dominated the late 1980s to the late 1990s. Medway made it to the South State Finals 8 out of nine years from 1987-1995 and back again for another State Title in 1998 to go along with the 2 they already brought home in 1990 and 1993.


The most recent state championships have been Boys Soccer (2000), Girls Soccer (2001), and Girls Volleyball (2001 & 1999).

Medway is a member of the Tri Valley League, one of the strongest athletic leagues in Massachusetts. In 2012, the boys Ice Hockey team appeared in the State Finals at TD Garden. In 2008 the Mustangs won a Co-Share of the TVL for Football, which they shared with Norton High School.

Some other recent TVL tiles since 1995 include:

The 2001 Girls Volleyball team finished their season undefeated at 25-0. They won an unbelievable 55 of 56 total sets played during that streak. They had also appeared in the state finals in 2000 and had won the state finals in 1999.

The Boys Baseball team enjoyed a historic season of their own in 2002, finishing 22-2 and easily capturing the TVL title with a regular season record of 19-1. Seven of the nine players in the starting line-up were seniors.

The years of 1998-2002 were particularly impressive for Medway athletics as they enjoyed 5 state championships, 6 state finals appearances and 8 TVL titles. All of these accomplishments came from boys soccer, girls soccer, girls volleyball and boys baseball.

Football

The Medway High football team is currently composed of 58 players on the varsity roster.[2] One of the most notable of these is defensive-end Glen Meredith (#68). He embodies the "heart and soul of the look-team/JV spirit." One of his greatest accomplishments on the field was leading the 2014 JV squad to a 9-2 record while only committing two penalties. [3]

Theatre

Medway High School is known to produce one of the area's best musical productions each spring, drawing a large audience from several surrounding communities. The school musical is a fully staged, choreographed and costumed Broadway show with full orchestra and crew.

The Medway High School musical was directed by Chris Roberts for the first time in 2010. The long-standing music director is Nadine Amaral, who has been with the production since 1993. Patricia Kennedy had directed every Medway production for over 20 years before retiring after the 2009 performance of Guys and Dolls.

Each year's show is typically cast in mid-to-late December, with rehearsals running from early January through mid March. Show dates are usually the third full week in March. Medway Cable Access videotapes one of the nights of the production, and the show is then aired on one of Medway Cable Access' Public-access television channels in the coming weeks and months. Traditionally, the curtain goes up at 7:30PM. Most performances last about two and a half hours, which includes one intermission.

The old Medway High School (current middle school) sat approximately 375 people. The show schedule for this auditorium had a dress rehearsal/senior citizen show Tuesday morning, with public performances Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Bye Bye Birdie was the last production staged at the old Medway High School, with the final performance on March 20, 2004.

The new Medway High School auditorium seats approximately 575 people. Because of the added seating, the production now performs four shows instead of five. The new show schedule has a dress rehearsal/senior citizen show Wednesday afternoon, with public performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. On rare occasions, a Saturday matinee show is added.

Recent performances

2016- "Bye Bye Birdie"

2015- "Grease"

2014- "Little Shop of Horrors"

2012 - Kiss Me Kate:

Primary Leads - Sean "The Sloth" Goodwin as Fred Graham/Petrucchio, Amanda Trainer as Lilli Vanessi/Kate, Olivia DeToma as Lois Lane/Bianca, Jay Anderson as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio

Secondary Leads - Kevin O'Brien as Harry Trevor/Baptista, Cam Swan as First Man & Hortensio, Daniel "The Man" Yates as Second Man, Connor Swan as Paul & Gremio, Rachel Yates as Ruth, Izzy Wescott as Hattie.

2011 - Pippin:

Primary Leads - Jay Anderson as Pippin, Melissa Chilinski as Leading Player, Brian McNally as Charles, Alisa DeSatis as Catherine, Molly O'Brien as Fastrida.

Secondary Leads - Sean Goodwin as Lewis, Samantha Terranova as Berthe, Joe Varriale as Theo, Craig Walsh as Head.

Arguably one of the worst shows this school has put on and undoubtably a sophomore slump for Chris Roberts. While the entire cast did an admirable job with the material (particularly Sean Goodwin as Lewis) the show was confusing, creepy and not very entertaining. Props to Melissa Chilinski on a job well done and for the most part Jay Anderson was an excellent Pippin with only a few vocal slip ups along the way.

2010 – Anything Goes:

Primary Leads - Jay "The Legend" Anderson as Billy Crocker, Kayla Marchetti as Hope Harcourt, Craig Walsh as Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, Melissa Chilinski as Reno Sweeny, Chris Trindade as Moonface Martin.

Secondary Leads - Brian Rojee as Elisha J. Whitney, Taylor Brown as Mrs. Wadsworth Harcourt, Alisa DeSatis as Bonnie.

Review - Set aboard an ocean liner headed from New York to London, Anything Goes proved to be smooth sailing for Chris Roberts in his directorial debut at Medway. Each lead role was well acted throughout. Jay Anderson brought a pleasant enthusiasm to the role of the love-struck Billy Crocker, and Kayla Marchetti was delightful as sought-after socialite Hope Harcourt. Melissa Chilinski was wonderful as Reno Sweeny, a nightclub singer who eventually falls for Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, played by a convincing and well-cast Craig Walsh. Chris Trindade expertly played gangster Moonface Martin, and once again made audiences laugh with frequency. Brian Rojee and Taylor Brown were each an asset to the show in their roles as Elisha J. Whitney and Mrs. Wadsworth Harcourt.

2009 - Guys and Dolls:

Primary Leads - Kevin Splaine as Nathan Detroit, Jen Hooper as Miss Adelaide, Andy Ross as Sky Masterson, Leah Kessler as Sarah Brown.

Secondary Leads - Erica Krist as Arvidia Abernathy, Dan Felleman as Nicely Nicely Johnson, Chris Trindade as Benny Southstreet, Joe Varriale as Big Jule.

Review - This well-known musical is always a favorite of both audiences and performers. Guys and Dolls was the only show to repeat within Patricia Kennedy's tenure, and provided a fitting end to her incredibly successful run as director. Andy Ross played a cool, almost nonchalant Sky Masterson, which worked well, and Leah Kessler again showed off her voice as Sarah Brown and turned in a complete performance. Kevin Splaine was forced to step into the role of Nathan Detroit very late in rehearsals, and did an admirable and praiseworthy job. Jen Hooper skillfully played up the comedy of Miss Adelaide's role, much to the audiences' delight. Dan Felleman and Chris Trindade were each well suited for their roles providing comedic support as Nicely Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet. Erica Krist also gave a strong performance as Arvidia Abernathy.

2008 - Beauty and the Beast:

Primary Leads - Jimmy Hurlbut as the Beast, Katie Goodwin as Belle, Pandelis Athanasiadis as Lumiere, Andy Youman as Cogsworth, Chris Trindade as Gaston.

Secondary Leads - Andy Ross as Lefou, Peter Mill as Maurice, Leslie McCaullife as Ms. Potts.

Review - This was the first time that a Disney show was performed at Medway and was undoubtedly a major success within the community, especially among the younger demographic. The set that was constructed and the costumes that were used for this production were the most elaborate in Medway's history. Jimmy Hurlbut's transformation into The Beast was inspiring to watch, and the audience was once again visibly moved by his performance and voice. Katie Goodwin was very pleasant as Belle, and embodied the spirit of the character nicely. Andy Youman and Pandelis Athanasiadis shined in their roles as Cogsworth and Lumiere, and had the audience laughing all night. Chris Trindade was wonderfully menacing as Gaston, while his sidekick, Andy Ross, artfully injected slapstick humor as Lefou. Peter Mill, playing Belle's father, Maurice, was sincerely a delight, and Leslie McCaullife was soothing as Mrs. Potts. As an ensemble number, Be Our Guest positively brought down the house.

2007 - Hello Dolly:

Primary Leads - Laura Stadolnik as Dolly Levi, Matthew Mershon as Horace Vendergelder, Pandelis Athanasiadis as Cornelius Hackl, J.P. East as Barnaby Tucker.

Secondary Leads - Leah Kessler as Irene Malloy, Jen Hooper as Minnie Fay.

Review - From beginning to end, Hello Dolly delivered constant comedy, and was wonderfully cast with that in mind. Laura Stadolnik did an impressive job as professional meddler Dolly Levi, and grew visibly stronger as the performances went by. Matthew Mershon appeared to be a natural playing the curmudgeonly Horace Vandergelder and was well-cast for the role. Without a doubt, Pandelis Athanasiadis and J.P. East stole the show as fumbling store clerks Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker. Their comedic chemistry was unforced and hilarious all night long. Leah Kessler was a welcome addition to the show and lent her beautiful voice as Irene Malloy, while Jen Hooper adeptly played her friend and co-worker, Minnie Fay.

2006 - Footloose:

Primary Leads - J.P. East as Ren McCormick, Jimmy Hurlbut as Reverend Shaw Moore, Alyssa Walker as Ariel Moore.

Secondary Leads - Jimmy Dacier as Willard Hewitt, Katie Goodwin as Vi Moore, Katherine Yasi as Rusty, Kaitlyn Rojee as Urleen, Kayla Cotter as Wendy Jo, Desiree Anderson as Ethal McCormick, Matt Brookes as Chuck Cranston.

Review - The non-traditional Footloose provided an infusion of energy to the cast after the prior year's production of the Sound of Music. Newcomer J.P. East put in a wonderful effort as Ren McCormick, and Alyssa Walker played Ariel Moore nicely. Jimmy Hurlbut was sensational as Reverend Moore, truly embodying the essence and struggles of the character. His performance and voice brought many to tears and left all inspired. Katie Goodwin was delightful and believable as Vi Moore, while Jimmy Dacier was truly funny as Willard Hewitt and had the audience roaring on several occasions. Katheryn Yazi, Kaitlyn Rojee and Kayla Cotter were each well-cast for their roles as Rusty, Urleen and Wendy Jo.

2005 - Sound of Music:

Primary Leads - Shaun Rooney as Captain Von Trapp, Kate Dengos as Maria.

Secondary Leads - Marie Moreshead as Liesl, David Lee as Max, Kaitlyn Rojee as Mother Abbess, David Charette as Rolf, Cory Shea as Elsa.

Review - Perhaps the most universally known of all Broadway musicals, the Sound of Music was chosen to open the brand new theater at the new Medway High School and was well received by the community. Shaun Rooney turned in the strongest performance of the production as Captain Von Trapp. Kate Dengos was also easy to watch as Maria, and seemed quite comfortable in a role the audience always has high expectations for. Marie Moreshead played Liesl with a refined passion, while Kaitlyn Rojee was fittingly cast as Mother Abbess. David Lee provided some much needed comedy as Max and David Charette did a fine job as Rolf. Several elementary school students from Medway were also used in the production as Captain Von Trapp’s younger children. They all did a wonderful job, and stole the hearts of the audience during So Long, Farewell.

2004 - Bye Bye Birdie:

Primary Leads - Kendra Morgado as Rose Alvarez, Greg Anderson as Albert Peterson.

Secondary Leads - Rachel Maliniak as Mrs. Peterson, Caitlyn Fraser as Mrs. MacAfee, Joe Stadolnik as Mr. MacAfee, Katie Madzar as Kim MacAfee, Zach Whiting as Conrad Birdie, Marie Moreshead as Ursula.

Review - Bye Bye Birdie is always a crowd favorite, and this production was no different. In the final production staged at the old Medway High School, Kendra Morgado dazzled for the third straight year. She owned her performance as Rose Alvarez, positively carrying the show and delighting audiences at every turn. Greg Anderson was funny and genuine as Albert Peterson, playing the part with a clumsiness that worked well. Katie Madzar played Kim MacAfee nicely and Zach Whiting looked the part of Conrad Birdie. Marie Moreshead expertly captured the overzealous nature of Ursula. Rachel Maliniak and Joe Stadolnik were undeniably wonderful as Mrs. Peterson and Mr. MacAfee, providing audiences with laugh after laugh and making the absolute most of their time on stage. It was indeed a fitting way to say Bye Bye to the old Medway stage.

2003 - Brigadoon:

Primary Leads - Kendra Morgado as Fiona McLaren, Peter Bjork as Tommy Albright.

Secondary Leads - Kevin Klagge as Jeff Douglas, Kelly Phillips as Meg Brockie, Shaun Rooney as Charlie Dalrymple, Katie Madzar as Jean McLaren, Adam Parchesky as Mr. Lundie.

Review - One of the most whimsical and romantic musicals of all time, Brigadoon captivated audiences of all ages. Kendra Morgado was stunning as Fiona McLaren, giving audiences a voice to admire and a performance to remember. Peter Bjork was also truly impressive as Tommy Albright, turning in a wonderfully complete and convincing performance. The noteworthy and natural chemistry between the two leads drove the show, and brought many in the audience to tears. Kevin Klagge and Kelly Phillips were each well suited for their roles as Jeff Douglas and Meg Brockie, and continually provided the show with well-timed comedy relief to the joy of the crowd. Shaun Rooney was delightful and energetic as Charlie Dalrymple, while Adam Parchesky was naturally affable and soothing as Mr. Lundie. Katie Madzar was also pleasant as Jean McLaren.

2002 - Once Upon a Mattress:

Primary Leads - Merry Foley as Princess Winnifred, Peter Bjork as Prince Dauntless, Kendra Morgado as Lady Larkin, Molly Alico as Queen Aggravaine, Conor O'Brien as King Sextimus, Daniel Maliniak as The Minstrel, Matt Gaudreau as Sir Harry.

Secondary Leads - Kevin Lee as The Jester, D.J. Doyle as The Wizard.

Review - Once Upon a Mattress played very well as an uproarious comedy, and this production featured one of the deepest casts in Medway history. Meredith Foley perfectly embodied the bold Princess Winnifred character, while Peter Bjork complimented her nicely as the likable Prince Dauntless. Molly Alico turned in an equally strong performance as the dominating Queen Aggravaine and Conor O’Brien played the mute and funny King Sextimus to absolute perfection. Kendra Morgado was an audience favorite as the lovable Lady Larkin with a beautiful voice while Matthew Gaudreau premiered nicely as the knightly Sir Harry. Daniel Maliniak showed refined skill in his role as the storytelling Minstrel, and Kevin Lee was constantly funny and surprisingly poignant as the Jester.

2001 - Oklahoma:

Primary Leads - Justin Jones as Curley, Jackie Cote as Laurey, Merry Foley as Ado Annie, Karl Boczanowski as Will.

Secondary Leads - Mike Mulkerrin as Jud Fey, Meaghan Wade as Aunt Eller, Adam Mavrikos as Ali Hakim.

Review - Continuing the string of traditional musicals, Oklahoma brought bright colors, cowboy hats and a southern drawl to the stage at Medway. Justin Jones turned in a fine performance as Curley, and had the audience pulling for him all night. Equally strong was Jackie Cote, who played the independent Laurey with poise and sincerity. Karl Boczanowski gave great depth and humor to the character Will, and Meredith Foley played Ado Annie with passion. Mike Mulkerrin turned in a powerful performance as Jud Fey, solidifying himself as a venerable character actor. Meghan Wade was quite convincing as Aunt Eller, while Adam Mavrikos was perfectly cast as Ali Hakim and delivered some of the funniest lines of the show. Oklahoma also delighted audiences with large, strong ensemble numbers throughout the production.

2000 - Fiddler on the Roof:

Primary Leads - Bill McKenzie as Tevye, Sarah Knupp as Golde.

Secondary Leads - Alexis O'Hanian as Tzeitel, Andy Whittemore as Motel, Colleen Guilfoil as Hodel, ? as Perchik, Jackie Cote as Chava, Daniel Maliniak as Fyedka, ? as Yente, Mike Mulkerrin as Lazar Wolf, Adam Mavrikos as The Constable.

Review - The setting of the show may be drab and dreary, but the music and acting of Fiddler on the Roof shines through. Bill McKenzie was a rookie to the show, but landed the lead role of Tevye. His performance was strong and his comedic sense was sharp, helping to set the tone throughout. This production had an incredibly deep cast of female leads, and each truly had a lovely voice. Sarah Knupp astutely played Tevye’s wife, Golde, and was a worthy compliment to Tevye. Alexis O’Hanian, Colleen Guilfoil and Jackie Cote played Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava respectively, three of Tevye’s eldest daughters. Each made the most of their stage time, turning in admirable performances. Andrew Whittemore was once again wonderful as Motel, a role seemed made for him, infusing a needed comedic spark while also displaying a touching sincerity. Mike Mulkerrin achieved a convincing performance of his own as Lazar Wolf, as did Daniel Maliniak as Fyedka.

1999 - Guys and Dolls:

Primary Leads - Andy Turchon as Nathan Detroit, Lindsey Rice as Miss Adelaide, Jack Thomason as Sky Masterson, Colleen Guilfoil as Sarah Brown.

Secondary Leads - Mike Mulkerrin as Big Jule, ? as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Andy Whittemore as Benny Southstreet, Karl Boczanowski as Harry the Horse, Stephan Jacob as Brother Abernathy, Colin O'Brien as Lt. Brannigan.

Review - This production of Guys and Dolls was truly splendid. Andrew Turchon was fantastic as promoter Nathan Detroit, winning the audience from his first scene with solid acting and undeniable humor. Lindsey Rice brought a very human element to the funny and well-known fiancé Miss Adelaide, which was a pleasure to watch. Jack Thomason looked very much the part of smooth gambler Sky Masterson, and gave a sincere effort. Colleen Guilfoil clearly had the best voice in the production, which combined with strong acting made her simply spectacular as missionary Sarah Brown. Andrew Whittemore was certainly a crowd favorite as the lovable lackey Benny Southstreet and drew one of the largest ovations at the end of the evening. Mike Mulkerrin was perfectly cast as the rough and tumble Big Jule, and showed great comedic timing along with Karl Boczanowski, who played insistent gambler Harry the Horse.

1998 - South Pacific:

1997 - Grease:

1996 - Anything Goes:

1995 - Pippin:

1994 - The King and I:

1993 - The Sound of Music:

Fun facts


The cast of each show is typically 35 to 45 actors. There is often a similar number in the crew, including crew for props, lighting and sound. All in all, there is anywhere from 75 to 100 students working on the show, representing about 10% of the total student population at Medway High School.

In the new high school, only one wing has an exit. If performers exit stage left, they must squeeze behind a back curtain to exit the stage area. The old high school had exits off both wings.

In 2008, the Friday night performance was delayed almost half an hour when the house lights would not turn off. It turns out, the fire alarm had gone off the night before, which makes the house lights automatically turn on. Once the override switch was flipped, the lights were turned off and the performance was able to begin.

The new high school stage is over 40% larger than the stage at the old high school. This has led to more room for larger and more elaborate sets to be built, and has made the actual movement on stage much easier for the performers.

The old high school stage would have an extension built onto the front each year to try and increase the stage size by several feet. In order to make room for this, the first row of seating in the auditorium was removed.

The stage floor is repainted before the show every couple of years. Usually it is painted black, but occasionally another color is chosen based on the setting of the show. For example, the stage was painted dark brown for Brigadoon as it is set in the highlands of Scotland. Another example, Once Upon A Mattress is set in a castle and the stage was painted with black and white squares to represent a regal tile pattern.

Shows performed at the old high school were reported to have a "Thursday Night Curse." Supposedly, different things would go wrong every year during the Thursday night show. Over various years, the roof of a house on set collapsed, the fire alarms have gone off, props have disappeared, microphones and sound effects have severely malfunctioned, and cast members have fallen ill.

In the new school, the orchestra is positioned between the stage and the audience, and are in the middle of the auditorium at center stage. In the old school, the orchestra was also positioned between the stage and the audience, however due to a lack of space in the middle of the auditorium, they were positioned off against the wall stage right (audience's left). Neither school has any form of pit for the orchestra.

The old high school had such a shortage of room backstage, performers were often forced to change their costumes in hallways or even in storage closets.

The chorus room in the old school was directly behind the stage, and had doors on both sides of the room. This allowed performers to exit from one side of the stage, then pass through the chorus room, and enter the stage from the opposite side. Because of its location and functionality, the chorus room was always bustling with activity before, during and after the show and served as the home base for all performers.


References

  1. ↑ http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/sat_perf.aspx
  2. ↑ http://www.hudl.com/team/23742/roster
  3. ↑ http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3214899/glen-meredith

Coordinates: 42°09′20.16″N 71°26′28.32″W / 42.1556000°N 71.4412000°W / 42.1556000; -71.4412000

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