Mount Vernon’s troupe 1470 performed Hadestown: Teen Edition at the high school Nov. 7-9. Along with being the second school in the state to put on this show, they also brought it to the Iowa Thespian Festival mainstage on Friday, Nov. 14. However, this production’s story started nearly a year and a half prior.
In spring of 2024, after recently finishing the school’s performances of Mary Poppins in April, Director Tom Stephens received an email from Concord Theatricals, requesting that he apply for a new teen edition of the Broadway show Hadestown. Stephens had previously worked with Concord Theatricals when he had licensed the play Lend Me A Tenor from them in 2022. In addition, Mount Vernon was secured a Mainstage spot at the Iowa Thespian Festival. Stephens accepted the offer; however, several circumstances made it so that he had to wait at least a year to perform it, and during that time, he had to keep it a secret.
“I couldn’t talk about it, and that was very difficult because it was very exciting news that I certainly wanted to share,” said Stephens. MVHS students had two opportunities through school to see the Broadway edition of the show, one in New York in March of 2024, and the other in Iowa City for the national tour in January of 2025. During the performance in Iowa City, students were still unaware of the license, while Stephens was keeping it under wraps. He described the duty as “frustrating but fun at the same time”.
As unique as Hadestown‘s beginning was, many involved agree that the standout of the show was the set. Soon after receiving the license, Stephens, Vocal Director Thad Wilkins, and Technical Director Brad Goetz began working on set design, budget, and logistics for the show. For Stephens, incorporating a turntable was a must-have. They rented a turntable drive motor, but Goetz had to design and build the wood that surrounded the motor. Not only did it have to function, but it had to be portable for their Mainstage performance. There are existing suggestions for how to construct a turntable, but “what they suggest would take over a day to put in,” said Goetz. “We have four hours to launch this show in Cedar Falls.”
The set included many other pieces that were unfamiliar to Mount Vernon, such as a fully built up floor, footlights, and wirelessly controlled lamps. There were also train doors, where one door on a pulley system lifted to reveal two opening doors that actors could enter and exit from. The pulley system involved a track built into the wall, as well as counterweights that allowed it to feel like “you’re pulling 10 pounds, when you’re actually lifting a 50 plus pound door,” said Goetz.
The novelty doesn’t stop there, as many cast members viewed Hadestown as a show full of opportunities. Junior Charlotte Woosley, who played Eurydice, said that she never thought performing Mainstage would be something she would do.
Sophomore Hagen Wilkins, who was part of the workers chorus, said, “It meant a lot to be able to do one of my favorite musicals and be able to perform it at a really high level, and then to perform in front of a really large audience just is a lot more meaningful.”
Woolsey also said, “Really showing people what I can do, with acting and singing, has been super fun.”
Senior Adeline Whisner, who played Atropos, aka one of The Fates, shares this sentiment. “I love singing but I’m not a soprano, so singing low is perfect for me, and all of Hadestown is basically written for altos,” Whisner said. “It felt like kind of the perfect role.”
As a whole, Hadestown is a stunning and touching experience for anyone that sees it, and Mount Vernon executed it beautifully. “I think it’s such a hopeful story,” said senior Claire Jensen, who played Persephone. “It’s a tragedy but it’s framed with a lot of hope. I think it means that you just keep going, even when things don’t turn out.”
