The Fort Scott High School Performing Arts Department presents the new musical “Ranked” by Kyle Holmes and David Taylor Gomes.
Performances are Nov. 9 and 11 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the FSHS Auditorium, 1005 S. Main. Over fifty FSHS students are involved in the acting, singing, dancing, and technical aspects of the show.
“Ranked” presents a dystopian high school where the theme, “Buy your grades. Buy your future. But what happens when the rest of the world finds out?” comes to the surface.
Rankedmusical.com describes the plot this way: “Lily is Above the Average, barely. Soon the giant, and very public, academic leaderboards will update everyone’s class rank, and for another day, everyone will know their place. If you fall Below the Average – say goodbye to college, and pretty much everything else… In the face of an intense and perverse culture of performance, Lily must find her place in the status quo as she watches friends and enemies alike destroy themselves and each other to score their way to the top. When an impossible lie is discovered, the fate of these students’ futures hangs in the balance.”
The new musical was conceived by Granite Bay High School in 2018 and debuted just weeks after the College Admission Scandal took the nation by storm.
“‘Ranked’ offers students the opportunity to shed light on the pressure placed on them to perform to the point of perfection, despite the inequities they may face in society,” Theatre Director Angie Bin said. “This musical has given the students significant buy-in as a way to share the stressors that many of them face.”
The production is also directed by Music Director Whitley Chesney, Choreographer and Assistant Music Director Mary Jo Harper, and Technical Director Alex Chesney.
“This is my first time as a music director for a musical. It’s wonderful to learn with these students. I enjoy working with students that aren’t in choir, as I never see them outside of rehearsal,” said Whitley Chesney. “‘Ranked’ has been a great show for students to experience real world issues. We have been able to have several conversations about how things in the show can relate to our lives. It has been cool to see how the students take their own experiences and incorporate them into their acting choices.”
Lily is portrayed by junior Courtney Shelton. Other lead actors include juniors Ella McElroy and Israel Carreno, senior Ashlynn Bagnall, and sophomores Casey Gomez and Lexi Hill.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for those under 18 and are available at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com or at the door. Parental guidance is suggested and seating is limited. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime.