By Mary Hay Davis
The Alpine Sun
   

Above, Granite Hills High School’s production of Romeo and Juliet will feature leads Derrick Gaffney as Romeo and Kristen Osborn as Juliet. Romeo and Juliet cast members Derrick Gaffney, Kristen Osborn, Alex Benjamin, and Cody James-Dean Dupree.

     ALPINE — “Oh Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo?” Look ye not for him, dear reader, in fair Verona but in… Alpine? That’s right, and not just Romeo, but Juliet too!
     Two Alpine students won both leading roles in Granite Hills High School’s production of Shakespeare’s epic tragedy. Sophomore Derrick Gaffney and freshman Kristen Osborn won the respective roles of Romeo and Juliet.
Several other Alpine students garnered supporting roles, as well. Freshman Alex Benjamin appears in dual roles as Balthazar and Sampson. Fellow freshman Cody James-Dean Dupree plays both Count Paris and the servant Gregory.
     And the Alpine roster continues, with a surprising appearance by sophomore Lorenzo Landini. Surprising not because he is wont for acting talent but because initially he did not intend to even audition. Lorenzo enrolled in the technical theatre class, and once the audition process for the production began, he decided to try out for a part.
     “I’ve always been comfortable and adept at public speaking, so acting in front of others was not that far of a stretch for me. I decided to audition and I won a speaking role,” Lorenzo said.
     All the actors interviewed for this story had little if any experience or formal training. Kristen and Alex previously appeared in theatrical productions in Alpine Union School District.
     Competition was fierce, with students of all grade levels auditioning. The process was all-or-nothing, since there was only one audition. With no callbacks, the lone audition determined who would garner lead, supporting, and chorus roles.
     Kristen credits three people in particular for helping her with her acting aspirations: Susan Lancaster, Sandy Bennett, and Tim Arends, all who helped develop her acting talent when she appeared in “Grease.” While learning lines for a production like “Grease” might be a challenge in itself, the actors in this production of Romeo and Juliet were tasked with learning far more complex lines.
     Four of the five actors agreed they had to put almost all extracurricular activities aside to participate in the play. “We rehearsed for four weeks. We practiced in the car and every free moment,” the students said.
     While all the students feel fortunate to be in the production, they also aspire to even greater heights. Derrick plans to major in theatre. Alex and Kristen plan to continue in theatre through high school and probably throughout college as well. Cody’s ambition is to become a professional actor — becoming famous would be an added bonus. And with the middle name of ‘James-Dean,’ fame for Cody seems almost pre-ordained.
     These Alpine students are happy to share words of wisdom for the younger students in Alpine’s elementary and middle schools, who might aspire to follow in these actors’ footsteps.
     Kristen advised, “Be determined. Work hard. Make it happen!” Alex added, “Try hard, do your best.” Derrick counseled, “You only have one high school experience. Have fun, and don’t be afraid to take risks.”
     With Alpine still waiting for a high school of its own, it is important that Alpiners show support for their students who make the daily journey down the hill. This is a great opportunity to show the rest of East County the many talents Alpine kids possess.
     Come support these local students, and the entire cast and crew of this production, by planning to attend one of the six shows Feb. 15, 16, 17, and 22, 23, and 24. All performances begin and 7:30 p.m.
For more information, call the box office at 440-3237 or log onto the theatre department’s web site at www.ghhstheatre.com.