RAPID CITY, SD – Over the course of the past two months, students from the Stevens High School drama department have been working diligently to put together a theatrical production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” written and published by Victor Hugo in 1831. 

The production is set in Paris, France, 1482 and follows Quasimodo, the deformed, isolated bell-ringer of Notre Dame, who defies his cruel master, Archdeacon Claude Frollo, and falls for the compassionate gypsy Esmeralda, setting off a tragic tale of prejudice, lust, and humanity. The production was able to be seen on April 23rd through the 25th this last weekend. 

Directed by Matthew Vidal, the current theatre teacher and director at Stevens High School, assistant director Isla Woodruff (a senior at Stevens High School), and the production’s technical director, Jacob Schendzielos. 

 There were over 100 students involved, making it the largest show ever to be put on at Stevens High School. There were the actors themselves, the choir singing specific parts, the crew members building the stage, and a live music pit consisting of students playing many different instruments from both orchestra and band. They were all working tirelessly to make sure that this timeless classic was portrayed right. The set itself was beautiful. It was a reconstruction of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, along with many bells tied all the way up to the ceiling.

When you would walk into the theater, the atmosphere just immersed you immediately, along with fitting dark music being sung in Latin before the show even started, setting the tone for the whole show. This show didn’t just have the largest number of students involved in it, it also happened to have the tallest set ever built at Stevens. At some points, the cathedral ended up reaching the very top of the ceiling loft. It stretched far out from one end of the stage to the other. The whole production did justice to Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” At the end of every show, there were audience members crying because of how touched they were by the story. “The  Hunchback of Notre Dame” was such a spectacular show to see, with so much effort put into it by all the talented students working on it. If you would like to experience this for yourself, be on the lookout for the next show to be put on at Stevens High School this fall.