Some of the cast of Ridge Drama Club’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child were able to take the time to be interviewed briefly about what they are most excited for in their performance, how they connect to their characters, and what they believe they will learn from the process. Below are the answers of cast members Nathan Moussally, Avery Sandler, Aarav Mathur, Yurav Sheth, and Yann Westbrook.
Nathan Moussally, a senior, is playing Harry Potter in the play. He says that he is excited about joining for his first show and to have a new experience. He has always contemplated joining drama club but has been stopped by peer pressure and the expectations that everyone has on him. But now in his final year, he feels confident to step out and do things for himself, like trying something new. When playing Harry Potter, Nate feels connected to the character’s pressures and how he copes with his struggles. He grew up loving the movies and has found that he relates to how Harry needs people close to him to lean on. He believes that he will learn a lot more about himself and pushing himself out of his comfort zone.
Avery Sandler, a junior, is playing Ginny Weasley and is excited toy perform in front of the audience on the performance days. She loves spending the time to prepare and then finally seeing it come together on opening night. Avery relates to Ginny because she believes she is a hothead like the character. She also cares deeply about her family and friends and holds them with a high importance, similar to Ginny. She feels she will learn more about herself since she incorporates pieces of herself into every character she plays. She is excited to play a very well known character and simultaneously put herself into playing Ginny.
Aarav Mathur, a junior, is playing Albus Potter and is excited to be apart of Harry Potter. He grew up watching the movies and finds the he relates to all characters, but mostly Albus. He believes that to play a character, you have to find something to relate with. He also believes that people of all ages will be able to see themselves represented on stage. Aarav hopes to learn more about himself in the process and learn how to play someone so human and grounded compared to other characters he has played in the past.
Yurav Sheth, a sophomore, is playing Scorpius Malfoy and is so excited to grow and express his love for Harry Potter. When he found out the school is doing Harry Potter, he was jumping with joy. Yurav feels more connected with Scorpius and finds him interesting as a character. He is interested in exploring Scorpious’ perspective of life, how he turns pain into the comedy, and how deep the meaning of the script really is. He finds that context is super important to convey as an actor and he can’t wait to learn more about how to do that.
Yann Westbrook, a sophomore, is playing Ron Weasley and additional characters. He is interested in learning how to play a multitude of characters and how to differentiate each one of them. He is also excited to explore the comedic side of being an actor through the character Ron Weasley and all the experiences that will come while creating the show.