TICONDEROGA — Students at Ticonderoga High School are rehearsing an original play by local playwright Kyle Lang.
“Times Square” by Ticonderoga language arts teacher Kyle Lang will be the second world premiere since 2021 by the High School Drama Club.
The Drama Club’s Sentinel Productions will present the play Friday and Saturday, Jan. 26 and 27, at 7 p.m. at Ticonderoga High School auditorium.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students, and $30 for a family. Proceeds go to Sentinel Productions. Adirondack 46ers receive free admission.
‘A LEAP OF FAITH’
“Times Square” takes place in the second most famous location bearing the name Adirondack Mountains. Set at a well-known 46er crossroads in the Santanoni Range, this play features tales, trials and tribulations from the perspective of a slew of hikers based on the insights of a 46er and hiking enthusiast, according to Lang, who is also directing the play.
In 2020, Sentinel Productions produced his first play, “Alma Mater,” to great acclaim, he said.
“Producing an original show is always a leap of faith, but it has worked really well for us,” Lang said.
“The reception to our first original, ‘Alma Mater,’ was awesome, and I hope our audience will enjoy ‘Times Square’ just as much, if not more.”
FOR THE FIRST TIME
Weighing traditional and modern works with world premieres has been a great source of education for Ticonderoga students, Lang said.
“The experience of preparing a new play for the first time, like ‘Alma Mater’ and ‘Times Square’ allows us to embody a role never done before,” senior Chris Facteau said.
“We are the first to be Ted, Tom or Tony and it becomes our job to show these characters’ stories to the world, (and) how we envision them to be.”
The main character is Tom, who is at a crossroads himself. He guides his friend Jordan, waiting for her to complete three grueling climbs and finish New York’s most epic hiking challenge: the 46 High Peaks.
“As he waits for Jordan’s return, Tom experiences countless colorful characters, teens from a summer camp, a pair of former lovers, two barefoot hikers, and a woman looking for her dog, among others, and points them in the right direction as they try to navigate the area’s frustrating maze of unmaintained herd paths,” Lang said.
HILARITY AND HEARTBREAK
He praised the acting talent in the students who have roles in the play.
“Our cast and crew is comprised of some of the very best people I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “We enjoy our time together and producing an original show just showcases our collaboration on a deeper level.”
He said the audience won’t be disappointed when the play premieres.
“‘Times Square’ is a story of hilarity and heartbreak, of unity, and divergence and will give New York City’s Times Square a run for its money.”