On a freezing November night, I had the pleasure of warming up during Nomadic Theatre’s latest spectacle: Heathers: The Musical. Directed by Daniel Tomas (SFS ’26) and produced by Alec Hamblet (CAS ’27), Heathers transformed the unassuming Village C Theatre into a magical, musical wonderland.
As I quietly sat in the second row, the performers became radiant as they basked in their spotlights, powerful voices booming during group numbers and subtle sobs echoing during melancholic solos. That night, I laughed, cried, picked my jaw up off the floor, and reveled in the theatrical magic that is Heathers.
Heathers tells the story of Westerburg High School in Sherwood, Ohio. It’s a typical 1980s American high school—bullies run rampant, nerds get slammed into lockers, and cliques dictate the social order. The musical’s main character, Veronica Sawyer, played by Makenna Faddis (CAS ’29), struggles to fit into Westerburg’s culture. In an attempt to climb the social ladder, she tries to join the top of the high school hierarchy: the Heathers, a group of three girls (all named Heather) reigning terror over the other students.
Veronica finds solace in J.D., played by Marre Gaffigan (CAS ’26), a new student at Westerburg who perfectly fits the dreamy outcast archetype. Avoiding any spoilers, chaos ensues, and the lives of the students at Westerburg High change forever.
The cast of Heathers spent countless hours choreographing, blocking, and rehearsing, and this is evident in the performance’s meticulousness. During group numbers such as “Big Fun,” “Candy Store,” and “Shine a Light,” the students of Westerburg High united in song and dance, moving with fluidity and precision. Each ensemble member effectively told the story of a true individual, trying their best to fit into the fleeting and toxic hierarchy of high school society.
Every storyline crashed into the others, creating a beautiful chaos that resulted in endless entertainment. The ultra-timid nature of Martha Dunnstock, played by Delaney Devlin (SFS ’26), mixed with the over-the-top bro-ness of Ram and Kurt, played by Massimo D’Onofrio (CAS ’28) and Rishi Bharadwaj (CAS ’27), respectively, created a zany atmosphere of a high school rager, portrayed in “Big Fun.” Fear of the Heathers flashed across each ensemble member’s face as the actresses descended the staircase like wolves on the prowl during “Candy Store.” Finally, the boredom was palpable as students’ eyes rolled back in their skulls at Ms. Fleming’s performative therapist act in “Shine a Light.”
While each performance was amazing, J.D.’s was absolutely spectacular. J.D. is a depressed outcast, but he puts on a mysterious, slick facade. Gaffigan successfully maintained a cool outward appearance while letting glimpses of insecurity and self-hatred shine through. They stayed cool, but also shaky, confident around classmates, but crumbled in solitude. In “Freeze Your Brain,” Gaffigan delivered a spine-chilling performance, breaking down into misery while praising the comfort of monotony. The emotional levee finally breaks in “Meant to be Yours,” when J.D. erupts into psychotic adoration. Gaffigan’s singing was powerful yet slightly warbly, conveying J.D.’s delusional confidence.
Heather Chandler is another difficult character to pull off, but Maddie McGill (CAS ’29) did so fearlessly. The leader of the Heathers is all sass and no jokes—she means what she says, and what she says is always mean. From creating nicknames like Martha Dumptruck to commanding Veronica to beg on her knees for forgiveness, Heather Chandler’s evil takes a certain gusto to play persuasively. When she enters the limelight, a fire of fierceness enters McGill’s eyes, and it’s undeniable that she sold the role. From the moment she descended the staircase with her entourage, she had her classmates trembling in fear. In “Candy Store,” McGill showed her aptitude for singing and dancing, with angelic vocal runs and an intricate trio dance with the Heathers. Unlike Gaffigan, McGill, playing the epitome of the high school mean girl, cannot let any sliver of humanity slip into her performance. I can’t begin to imagine the hours of rehearsal and character-building she put into this role—her performance was nothing short of stellar.
Even though it was nice to be in such an intimate space, Heathers deserved a larger venue. A performance hall or theater would have illuminated the performers, the pit orchestra, and the tech crew in a different way than the Village C Theatre. A black-box style performance space works well for smaller productions or straight plays, not big productions like Heathers. The sound was slightly overpowering, there wasn’t a true backstage, and the lack of space limited set design.
The crew was creative, utilizing the staircase that leads to the catwalk (making for an extra dramatic debut of the Heathers), but this kind of adaptivity shouldn’t have to happen. The build crew should be able to choose whether they have a staircase or not, not reckon with one in the way. The cast and crew did their best with the venue they had, but a performance of this caliber deserved to be in a large theater, in front of a sold-out crowd.
As a theater kid, there’s a special place in my heart for student-led productions, and this one touched me on so many levels. It brought me so much joy to see Georgetown students having fun doing what they love: coming together to perform an iconic musical with endless talent and pride for their craft. I’m grateful to have had such an amazing first experience seeing this beautiful production in action, and I think everyone should see their magic and passion at work. Heathers was meant to be yours, Georgetown.
Heathers will be playing Nov. 13, 14, and 15.
