From the Wings: Montesano Drama Club to stage Anastasia musical

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 6, 2026

This weekend, the students of the Montesano High School Drama Club will showcase their singing and dancing talents in the production of Anastasia. Based upon the animated film released in 1997, this musical features six songs from the movie, along with 16 songs written specifically for the play, and the movie villain, Grigori Rasputin, is now a General Gleb.

For community members who attended the Lemon Hill Café’s Arts Night on April 15, which featured members of the Drama Club, they’ve already seen a preview of what these students will bring to the stage.

“These kids really work very hard and that they’re super dedicated,” said Erin Riley, a community member who has run the Drama Club since 2019. “They come, every week after school, sometimes staying till 8, 9 o’clock at night.”

Before the week of dress rehearsal, the cast practiced the waltz under the guidance of professional dancers. The Daily World dropped by to chat with some of the cast about staging of Anastasia and how they became interested in theater.

What follows is our conversation edited for length and clarity.

The Daily World: Kiana, Max, Ruby and Gavin, how long have you been in Drama Club?

Kiana Brenton [Olga]: I’ve been here since 7th grade.

Max Sevenly [Black Marketeer #1]: I’ve been here since 8th grade, so last year.

Ruby Britton [Tsarina]: I’ve been in Drama Club since 7th grade, so this is my second year, too.

Gavin Vail [Alexei]: This is my first year in the club.

TDW: What was your reaction to hearing you would perform Anastasia?

Brenton: I don’t like singing.

Sevenly: Yeah, I’m better with straight lines.

Britton: It’s always about 50/50, of people who don’t want to do [musicals].

Vail: I was talking to my mom about it, and we watched the movie and it seemed pretty good.

TDW: Of all the activities that you could do after school, why be in the drama club?

Britton: I have fun. There’s really nice people here and also sometimes food.

Brenton: I like the people here most of the time. And I do enjoy the drama itself as well.

Britton: Getting to pretend to be somebody else and be a whole different person.

Sevenly: Also, when you’ve done it for long enough, it kind of becomes like an obligation, but not in a bad way.

TDW: What was the moment that you realized you wanted to be on stage or join drama club?

Emily Wills [Anya]: In 6th grade, I went and watched Monte’s production of Mamma Mia! And that was the moment I knew, because they did a really good job.

Sevenly: I really like theater. When I was younger, I was in an improv group for little kids. But I always kind of liked acting, and I realized there was a drama club.

Brenton: I’ve done theater before, and I just signed up.

TDW: Montesano is one of several school districts that brings Missoula Children’s Theatre to their school. What is the value of having Missoula Children’s Theatre come to Montesano?

Brenton: I probably wouldn’t have done anything if my parents hadn’t signed me up for it when I was younger.

Bella Pierce [Tsar]: It gives kids a chance, to try it out, see if they like it. If they really do, they can join the Drama Club when they’re in middle school.

Eliza Jones: It’s really nice because it’s just like an easy way to start learning. It’s inexpensive and it’s available to everyone at the school.

TDW: What do you think people don’t understand about the value of theater?

Pierce: A lot of people think that it’s some weird thing, but really it’s like building a community of people that — it’s hard to explain — but it’s a community of people who are always there for you.

Brenton: It takes a lot more effort than some people would think to do some of this stuff.

Britton: There’s a lot of friendships that you make your first couple of years, and you get to watch other people, and you get to grow with them, and it’s really fun.

Sevenly: I think a lot of people don’t understand that it helps build a lot of different skills, like public speaking, and generally being confident. Being able to move your way around different situations. I’m in speech and debate and doing drama helps me be on stage.

Because being on stage and acting is a little more nerve-wracking than being on stage and then just doing a speech, because when you’re acting, you’re like, ‘Oh, I look kind of stupid.’

Maddi Kaivo-Houlton [Lily]: It’s like a community; you get to talk to all these people who you never talk to before.

TDW: How do you get out of your head and trust that you don’t look stupid.

Brenton: Completely ignore the audience. They’re not there. I just picture them all as golf fans.

Britton: Just embody the character. It’s not me who’s doing the weird thing; it’s this whole other person.

TDW: Do you still get stage fright going up on stage?

Brenton: The very first time you get on stage, because the stage lights are hot.

Sevenly: Yeah, it’s so warm.

Vail: Yeah, it’s always a little scary, but it’s not like you can’t do it.

Pierce: Not really, because I don’t have any speck of shame in my body. So it’s kind of like, ‘Oh, if I fall, I’ve done it before.’

TDW: What other values does theater provide, not only necessarily in you specifically, but maybe your family and friends who watch you perform?

Vail: Teachers and people who come to see it and they’re, ‘Oh, I did not think you would do that.’

Sevenly: It can sometimes help your family see a different part of you because if you’re really shy generally, sometimes on stage you can be the complete opposite.

TDW: How has it been seeing the play come together with the lines, the set and costumes?

Vail: It’s been really fun seeing it all come together and putting on the costumes and blocking, putting props up, and all that stuff.

Sevenly: The blocking is definitely fun and having fun dancing.

TDW: What are your favorite plays that you’ve either seen in person or on TV?

Brenton: Something Rotten.

Britton: Hamilton.

Vail: I really like Into the Woods.

Kaivo-Houlton: Yes, Into the Woods is my favorite musical ever, period. I wrote a whole essay about it for my music appreciation class.

Britton: I went and saw The Diary of Anne Frank. It was an amazing story and so many people were crying by the end.

Brenton: Falsettos and Next to Normal.

Britton: I’ve actually gotten to go see 7th Street’s Frozen a few years ago. I liked that one because it kind of motivated me to come back.

Sevenly: A year or two ago, I saw in Seattle, The Wiz. It was really, really good. I specifically like that one, because I love the costume designs and the set design.

TDW: Does seeing plays inspire you to be better actors or to stay involved in theater?

Kaivo-Houlton: For me, going to see stuff makes me feel differently. It was fun at Something’s Afoot, I was really like laughing. But for Into the Woods, I want to be able to make people feel that, you know? I want people to be able to come to this and enjoy it just as much as I enjoy going to those others.

Britton: I think it’s really inspirational to go to these things and you start to look up to these people who you don’t even know, and you can take some of their skills and apply it to make my performance better. It’s just a learning process and it’s just really cool.

What to learn more about Anastasia? KXRO interviewed Blaine Smith, Emily Wills and Kallie Williams earlier this week, and the interview is available at https://www.kxro.com/mhs-drama-club-presents-anastasia-the-musical-this-weekend/.

Anastasia Performance times

May 8 and 9, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and May 10, Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $15 available at the Lemon Hill Cafe in Montesano or at the door of the Montesano High School Commons. Doors will open 30 minutes before showtime.