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Krista McCann, assistant director, and Wendy Harms, director, look on as their vision comes to life.

The fall play this year at Manitou is Mother Hicks, a drama about what it means to belong. The main character, Tuc, played by Morgan Baker (11), is deaf and mute and only able to communicate through sign language. In order to immerse themselves into their roles, Morgan will be learning to sign along with the other leads, Girl and Mother Hicks, played by Cate Montville (10) and Maddie Dayhoff (10).

“Learning the signs isn’t terribly difficult,” says Baker, who has only been acting since freshman year, “but incorporating that into the actual play is a lot more difficult because I have to remember my lines written in the script, and then I have to remember them in the syntax of sign language, and then I have to remember all the signs for said syntax. So I’m the narrator, and I have to remember threefold. It’s quite a bit.”

This is the first high school play that Montville and Dayhoff will be starring in, so carrying lead roles is a bit more of a challenge for them. According to Montville, “[The most difficult part is] definitely carrying the bulk of the lines, because there’s only about 2 total pages I don’t have lines in and it’s just crazy to have to memorize it all.” Whereas Montville has to memorize only spoken lines, though, Dayhoff and Baker have to also memorize sign language.

“Sign language is kind of easy, but saying my lines with the sign language is super difficult. Morgan only has to sign what he’s saying, and the chorus only has to say what he’s signing, but I have to sign and talk at the same time, and the signing is a shortened version of what I’m saying so it’s confusing.” said Dayhoff.

Mother Hicks will be performed at the district auditorium on Friday and Saturday October 17 and 18 at 7 pm.