While bells ring by storefronts and Christmas tunes hit the airways, lights beam from eaves and giftwrap overtakes the living room, many forms of entertainment such as plays and concerts have offered a Christmas theme for their performances. A&E has previewed “Babes in Toyland,” Coastal Chorale’s Christmas Show, “Journeys of the Heart” and many other holiday shows. But, for those ready to celebrate the New Year and leave Christmas behind, Fairhope High School offered a theater experience devoid of Jingle Bells and full of noir beauty.

“Frankenstein” was performed at the Black Box Theater at Fairhope High School Dec. 14 and 15 by students in the Fairhope High School Theatre Department. Audiences were delighted over three performances as students danced, sang and belted dramatic expression.

Katie Denton, theatre department coordinator, said the teens put much effort into the performances.

“We have been rehearsing this play for almost seven months,” she divulged. “We started at the end of May with about 12 actors. Auditions took two weeks. We had one audition to screen potential student actors and a callback audition the next week. It was extremely difficult to choose a cast with so much talent in our high school, but we managed to make a selection after discussion with five audition adjudicators composed of Fairhope High School faculty.”

She said that students and faculty worked on all the aspects of “Frankenstein,” beyond just the acting.

“The set design evolved — a group of students, Susan Patrick (Fairhope High School English teacher) and I decided to go with a minimalist feel that was primarily based on the colors of black, white and gray,” she explained. “Set designers, costume designers and make-up artists were not chosen. We were fortunate to have several students come to rehearsal and volunteer their time and efforts to those specific elements.”

Darby Dempsey, FHS junior in the role of Justine Moritz, recalled the long process that has come to fruition.

“We have been working very hard on ‘Frankenstein: A New Musical’ for seven, long months,” she said. “We held auditions at the end of the 2011-2012 school year. They were very small and not a lot of people auditioned. But all the main characters were given roles.”

The process continued throughout summer break — a true labor of love, she explained.

“We held rehearsals over the summer and then once school started back up for the 2012-2013 school year, we were in dire need of an ensemble,” she revealed. “We spread the word throughout the school and theatre classes and before we knew it, we had about 20-30 volunteers.”

Denton said that support spread beyond the student body, and that many faculty members helped make the production possible.

“The Fairhope High School administrators, faculty, staff, and students and their support brought about this production,” she explained. “The staircase, lighting and several props were generously donated by Cheryl Dempsey and John Van Antwerp. Robert Trione, FHS film teacher, volunteered his time and efforts to film the production. Amy Plunkett, FHS art teacher, and her art classes spent time painting props and preparing the theatre for the show. Eddie Mitchell, FHS junior, spent many hours engineering the sound for the show. We also had terrific stage managers and crew of student directors. As the teacher and coordinator, I really gave students free-range to create the production. I wanted to give them the experience of working with all aspects of theatre. Being our first show, we all learned together what it takes to pull off a big show like ‘Frankenstein.’ We continue to learn, and I am excited to see what we can do in the future and the way in which we will grow and develop.”

Dempsey explained that after roles were placed, the real work began.

“About 44 people participated in making this production come together,” she recalled. “I was first casted as Agatha. Is was a fairly small role but it had a beautiful song I could sing. I prepared by learning the song and singing it over and over in the car. But once school started, I was upgraded to the role of Justine. I felt like I was meant to have that role from the start and I was so excited. I learned the songs and when we did our daily exercises at rehearsal, we would get into character by thinking about our character’s lives. We considered our character’s issues, childhood, dreams, wishes, goals, accomplishments and made a personality out of our results. In a way, we were soul searching with our characters trying to find their personality. It was a fun and interesting process. I feel honored to play Justine. She is one character that is killed twice in the show. Not many people can say that.”

Dempsey said she’s seen firsthand how theater bind individuals together for a common goal and all the good that comes out of that bond.

“Theatre teaches responsibility without a doubt; every actor must learn cues, props, outfits and lines or songs before a show,” she said. “Actors in a production learn that their actions do not just effect themselves but also the people around them. A cast is a family and a cast works together. It is not just about one person. Every one helps out everyone. If a cast member needs help holding open a curtain, carrying a prop, turning on fog machines or lights, or even with moral support, it is a fellow cast member’s duty to be there.”

She said that as a student, she can see the benefits of art education and how lessons carry beyond the classroom.

“The arts help with education by making the brain work better; theatre requires actors to learn lines and monologues and songs — that uses brain power and makes the brain faster,” she explained. “School is a hard place for some kids with low self-esteems. Theatre helps kids find themselves and be more confident. I, myself never had self-esteem issues, but at hard times where any normal kid would have sunken into depression, theatre made me strong and know who I was as a person. In theatre, there are all kinds of rules on stage displaying common courtesy to other actors. One for example is not to upstage a person talking on stage. It teaches people to be considerate, courteous and polite to others.”

Denton said she’s seen theater and art can teach life lessons to students.

“Theatre has had a profound effect on my life and the lives of my students — through this production, I have seen people grow and change,” she divulged. “For many students, this was their first production. Through this show, they have expanded their talents, their vocal ability, and their understanding of theatre. Moreover, many students have ‘shed their shell.’ They are now more open, talkative and confident. Each student has grown in confidence which is an important characteristic for high school students to possess. The arts are an important area of education. ‘Frankenstein’ encompassed all areas of study. Students researched the industrial revolution that began in the late 1700s and saw the role the period played in the story. Students also read parts of the story in order to fully capture their character. The arts are a pivotal part of education. They build confidence and student abilities. They also tie together all areas of study. Through the rehearsal process, students have found their voice. High school is sometimes a stress for students and a time of soul searching. Theatre helps students discover who they really are.”