Watching Cayenne Teeter play the role of Emily Webb in Hartland Drama Club’s “Our Town” may just inspire the community to make its New Year’s resolutions a little early this year. The multi-talented Hartland High School junior, who also serves as Drama Club trustee, hopes that audiences leave the auditorium with a fresh outlook.
“Watching this show is like watching the ball drop on New Year’s,” she said. “You’ll leave with this new appreciation for life that you never knew you had. I’ve definitely started to look up from my phone and truly look at my life. I’ve learned to look at what is happening here and now, since most humans take life for granted.”
According to Teeter, who is the daughter of Amanda Teeter and Rick Teeter, Emily is an interesting character to play because of the conflicting elements of her personality. “Emily is very intelligent, yet very ignorant at times,” she says, adding that she loves to research her roles online and complete character analyses.
Teeter is vice president of the Hartland Chamber Choir and a member of Con Espiritu choir. She plans on becoming a professional opera singer, writes and records her own music and dreams of studying vocal arts at The Juilliard School. Teeter’s favorite performance was with the Michigan Opera Theatre student production at the Detroit Opera House, where she played Iolanthe in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta of the same name.
Attending Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp almost every summer has influenced her love of opera and her involvement with Drama Club has instilled a passion for acting. She said Hartland’s productions are successful because of its talented crews. In fact, her brother, Rick, is head of the Set Crew for “Our Town.”
Whether you typically enjoy theater or not, Teeter encourages everyone to see “Our Town,” due to its universal appeal.
“You will find something you relate to in this show, especially if you grew up in a small town,” said Teeter. “Even if you didn’t, the show addresses every aspect of modern-day life, love and death. Anyone who’s anyone will find some way to enjoy this show.”
— Jennifer Stang
Shows are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9 and 10, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, at Hartland High School, 10635 Dunham Road in Hartland. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students/seniors, and can be purchased at http://hartlanddramaclub.weebly.com or at the door.
