Audrey Roper, ’24, bids musical theater farewell as Regina George in her final installment of a drama production in the Mean Girls musical.
By: Donya Hassanshahi
Walking on stage one final time, the lights look brighter as the crowd grows warmer. You take a deep breath as the passion is radiating within you. Departing from this persona you’ve taken on hasn’t hit you yet, so you embark on the moments you have with this character.
From age thirteen, Audrey Roper, ’24 has acted in musicals. With this being her senior year, she will play her final role as Regina George in the Mean Girls musical.
Being casted as this role, Roper says, “It means a whole lot because when I was younger, all I really wanted to do was musical theater, and coming full-circle from being in the kids cast when I was younger to being a lead when I’m older feels like it’s a good, final end to my musical career.”
photo n.miller/Gigantea
With this being her final time stepping into the spotlight, Roper says, “[Regina’s] special to me because in the way she says some things, like the words she puts emphasis on. For example, some of the things that I say are obviously rude, so if I think about my actual thoughts and going through my day, the things that I don’t say in the play, it’s me expressing those emotions through the lines.”
If she were to describe her character in one word, she says Regina is “complicated because she has a lot of different layers and she kind of gives out multiple facades to different people.”
Although Regina fits the stereotypical mean girl, Roper says that, despite everyone’s assumed view of her popularity and shallowness, “She’s deeper than that and people just don’t take the time to notice.”
When embodying the character, she says considering Regina’s mentality is important. “I think she’s lost herself in the inability to know who she even is; she doesn’t even know,” she says.
To see Roper play Regina George, come see the musical opening night on February 15 at the LJ Williams Theater at 7:00pm. The musical will also take place on the 16 and 17 of February following opening night.
Donya Hassanshahi
Donya Hassanshahi, '24 is a third year journalism student writing for the Redwood Gigantea. She seeks interest in the Humans of Redwood, hoping to inspire the Redwood community with her writing. You can reach her by her email at donya.hassanshahi@gmail.com.
Tags: arts and entertainment, Donya Hassanshahi, drama, features, humans of redwood, mean girls the musical, musical, rangers, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs
