Merrillville High School’s Performing Arts Department is preparing to bring “Mean Girls: The Musical” to the stage, with the final performances set to take place at Reinhart Auditorium Friday through Sunday. The production features a dedicated cast and crew, including a double-cast lead role and a team working behind the scenes to ensure a seamless performance.
Junior Tori Lee Harden, who plays the role of Regina George, reacted with excitement upon learning she had been cast as the infamous “Queen Bee” of North Shore High School. “I was screaming, crying, throwing up. I was like so happy,” Harden said.
While the role of Regina demands confidence and a sharp personality, she explained that stepping into the mindset of the character comes naturally. “I just kinda be myself, cause I mean, I get told that I act like her a lot.”
The role of Cady Heron is shared by juniors Olivia Stone and Samantha Sampson. Stone, who prepared for the role by attending rehearsals and studying on her own, relates to Cady’s struggle with changing herself to fit in, only to realize it’s not worth it. “I prepared for Cady by going to the rehearsals and doing my own stuff at home,” Stone said. “The part that I relate the most to is how she changes herself to try and be better than everybody else but then in the end realizes it’s not worth it.”
Sampson, who originally auditioned for the role of Janis, was surprised but thrilled to be cast as Cady.
“I was so excited. Definitely, since I had a feeling she (Mrs. Reinhart) would double cast the lead because she did last year,” Sampson said. “I was beyond excited for Olivia. I know she’s wanted to have this major of a role for a while.”
Playing Cady has also allowed her to explore new aspects of performing.
“The most fun is definitely being able to overexaggerate her character,” Sampson said. “Any weird thing that I want to do, I can do it and it fits her character.”
While the actors bring the story to life, the stage management team ensures that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. Senior Izah Garcia, stage manager for the production, described rehearsals as chaotic, with constant adjustments needed to manage set pieces and technical elements.
“Chaos. Trying to figure out what set pieces go onto where, when to get stuff prepped and ready,” Garcia said.
She explained that organization and time management have been key lessons in the role. “The experience has been pretty good. It was a learning moment for me to keep things organized and get things prepped and being on time.”
Sophomore co-stage manager Aidan Luskey, who oversees set transitions and communicates with the technical crew, also acknowledged the challenges of coordinating a production.
“Making sure everyone is where they need to be,” Luskey said. “Making sure set pieces are ready to be moved and stuff.”
Communication plays a crucial role in ensuring smooth performances, but it has also presented difficulties.
“It’s been a bit fun, it’s been stressful having to deal with Mr. Reinhart and Mrs. Reinhart and stage right and the people up in the booth,” Luskey said. “But what I’ve learned from it is that you have to be able to be nice to everybody, because if you’re mean to everybody, not a lot of people are going to want to do the stuff that needs to be done.”
As the final weekend approaches, the cast and crew continue to refine their performances and technical coordination. With months of preparation leading up to the production, the students are eager to bring “Mean Girls: The Musical” to life for their audience.
Don’t miss the final performances this weekend: at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Reinhart Auditorium.
