The Daviess County Fine Arts Department will perform Mamma Mia from March 21-24. However, this isn’t your typical high school production, as students, staff, parents, and several community experts from the industry have joined forces to develop a state-of-the-art set.
Choir director Jacob Hein and his team have transformed the Daviess County High School Auditorium into the idyllic Greek Island of Kalokairi. The set boasts multiple platforms and levels, an artificial shoreline, realistic architecture, and custom paint and finishing, transporting the audience to Greece at the turn of the 20th century.
“When we had over 80 students come in to audition for the show, we knew we would need a huge set to accommodate everyone, so thankfully, our stage here at DCHS is massive,” Hein said. “So with a large set and cast, it was either go big or go home.”
Brielle Green is a student at DCHS and is the artistic director; she reached out to Hein with a draft and several ideas. She said she drew her inspiration from other Mamma Mia sets and exploring Greek architecture online.
“It was a combination of wanting a really distressed place because it’s supposed to be lived in and having a balance with normal Greek architecture,” Green said. “This is my first year working with anything in musical theatre, and it’s been very fun.”
Hein then called upon John Campbell with Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, who, without reservations, agreed to serve as scenic designer and technical director.
Campbell soon created a blueprint and design, and by the end of January, several skilled hands from multiple walks of life had built the primary structure.
“Jacob gave me the idea of what he wanted with some pictures from other sets,” Campbell said. “This is what I enjoy doing, and I love to see it come together. This is a unique experience with so many people involved.”
While Campbell carried the experience, expertise, and skills, he leaned on a team of dedicated students to bring the set to life. Two of those students are seniors Kaleb Barnard and Nate Watson, who have hung on to Campbell’s every word.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time working with John, and it’s been a fantastic experience,” Barnard said. “I went into the initial construction weekend only knowing the basics of power tools and very little about set construction, but by the end, I felt comfortable doing most things John asked me to do.
“He answered any questions I could ask and ensured I was comfortable doing anything needed.”
Other volunteers and carpenters include Jim Wilhoyte with Encore Musicals of Owensboro, Jordawn Howard, James Holmes, Chris Hall, Fernando Camarena, and Kaleb Barnard. David Rodgers of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church assisted with lighting and fixtures, while Aaron Barnard of Barnard Landscaping donated most of the tools and equipment.
Watson said building the set is one of the most rewarding things he’s done, referring to Campbell and the entire team as “extremely intelligent in their field.”
“They were able to teach someone like me, who didn’t know much about construction, very easily,” Campbell said. “I never knew how much I would pull from my math classes when I decided to help. I also never knew how many problems could be solved with just a little arithmetic. We’re so thankful to the professionals working hard every day.”
Molly Gross joined in as the paint and visual art coordinator, creating various textures and colors on the set. She’s enjoyed working with the students and volunteers on the stonework and the attention to detail.
“The design was really ambitious, and John and his team did a phenomenal job. This is one of the most intricate sets I’ve seen for a high school,” Gross said. “It’s Jacob and the students’ ambition; everyone has been wonderful working with. I was shocked to see so many parents in the community jumping in to help while students have given up their weekends for the project.”
Tickets to attend the event are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are general admission and open to the public.
“We’ve worked with many of these people before, and to have them come and offer their help and their expertise for not just the sake of this program, but for students to learn from people that have done this for a living and are already impacting our community,” Hein said. “It’s wonderful because it allows our students to uncover skills they never knew they had.”
