One thing’s universal— life’s no dress rehearsal! Do you have your perfect prom dress? Shoes? Gown or tux? Or— *gasp* date!? For the area premiere of The Prom, Tidewater Players has given us their “teens” to have some “Prom-Goss” (also known as gossip) about what it’s like to be a part of the area premiere of this sensational new show that’s currently sweeping the nation.

Thank you so much for sitting down with us, and you are?

Abigail Standish: My name is Abigail Standish. And I play Kaylee.

And who is Kaylee?

Abigail: Kaylee is one of the bullies, she’s a cheerleader and she picks on Emma for being gay.

How are you and Kaylee similar and different?

Abigail: We are not really similar. That’s probably a good thing. But we’re definitely very different. Kaylee is one of the popular girls and I was never very popular in high school. But she’s definitely very out there and bold. And I’m very quiet and reserved.

Why did you want to come out and be a part of The Prom?

Abigail: It’s a show that I’ve liked for a very long time. And I think it sends a really good message. It’s a really important show to me especially. It was one of the first shows that I saw that had representation for me in high school. I just really wanted to come be a part of it, and I get to do this show with my mom (Lisa Standish) which is really cool.

That’s awesome! I didn’t know your mom was also in this show! That’s really cool. You’re out of high school now, right? How old are you again?

Abigail: I’m 16 but I graduated early.

Did you go to the prom?

Abigail: I did not. I graduated early and didn’t get a chance to go to have my senior year. I took a test to graduate early instead of going through a full year so there wasn’t a full chance for me to go to senior prom.

Is that something that you would have wanted to have done? Gone to the prom?

Abigail: Definitely not. Dances aren’t really my thing. I never really went to the homecomings.

That’s totally cool too. But you do get to go to Prom in this show. Tell me a little bit about the dress that Kaylee wears to Prom?

Abigail: It’s pink and sparkly and I absolutely love it. It’s super bright and I think it will look amazing on stage. It’s iridescent sparkles and it’s pink and I have bedazzled Converse to wear with it. I love it.

That sounds stunning. I immediately want Kaylee’s prom dress. If you had to pick your perfect prom theme, what theme would you pick?

Abigail: I’m not sure. Something where I could wear a blue dress to because I love the color blue. Maybe themed around the night sky or something like that. Maybe constellations or something.

Why do you want people to come and see The Prom making its area premiere here at Tidewater Players?

Abigail: I think it’s a really great show to see. It’s got a really great message and it’s the first show that I’ve ever seen that’s really inclusive. It’s just a great show for people to see where they can come and see themselves represented in characters no matter who they are.

If you had to sum up your experience here with The Prom in just one word, which word would you use?

Abigail: Magical.

Thank you so much, Abigail. Now we’re going to switch gears and speak with… Aaron, is?

Aaron Oh: Hi, yes. I’m Aaron Oh and I play Nick.

Very cool. Can you tell us a little bit about Nick?

Aaron: Nick is an Indiana resident who starts off the story very closed-minded and not open to change. But that changes throughout the show.

How are you and Nick similar or different?

Aaron: Well, I think that we’re similar because we’re both in high school, both high-school teenagers. But we’re different because Nick is incredibly homophobic and he’s just generally a harsh person. I would like to consider myself much more accepting and way less harsh.

Why did you want to come be a part of The Prom?

Aaron: I’ve done two Tidewater shows prior to this. Rent and 9 to 5 and those were both really fun and I just wanted to come back and do it again.

Why do you think this is an important show to be a part of?

Aaron: I think it’s increasingly relevant for the present time in the real world just because so much change is happening and people are becoming more and more accepting as time moves on. I think it’s very important to have shows like this to bookmark those events.

You are a kid in high school, so how old are you?

Aaron: I’m 16.

Very cool. Have you been to a prom yet?

Aaron: No. I have not been to a prom. I’m a junior so this will be my first opportunity to go to a prom this year.

Are you looking forward to it?

Aaron: Looking forward to it? Um… not so much. I mean, I think I might end up going. Maybe.

So if you do end up maybe going to the junior prom, any idea what you might wear?

Aaron: I don’t own a tux or a suit so I would have to rent one. So I have no idea of what I might want quite yet.

If you had to pick a color that you think you might look good in, what color would you pick?

Aaron: Like a darker green. Not like an olive, like an emerald jade or something like that.

If you had to pick a perfect theme for a prom, what theme would you want to have?

Aaron: Ooh that’s a really good one. There are so many but I really like the idea of a disco. Maybe a 70’s disco that would be very cool.

Why do you want people to come out and see The Prom?

Aaron: I love performing in front of people. Performing is really fun and I think I could do it in an empty auditorium but I think that the more people are there the more fun I have performing.

If you had to sum up your experience here at The Prom with Tidewater Players in just one word, which word would you use?

Aaron: Refreshing!

The Prom plays through March 6 2023 with Tidewater Players, in residence at the Cultural Center at The Havre de Grace Opera House— 121 N. Union Street in historic downtown Havre de Grace, MD. For tickets call the box office at 667-225-8433 or purchase them online.