ROCHELLE –– Robin Hood, the tale of the outlaw stealing from the rich to give to the poor and his adventures along the way. The adventure of Robin Hood will play out on the RTHS stage this weekend.
Forty high school students have spent hours preparing for the play that director Amy Creuziger chose to give them new experiences on stage.
“Robin Hood is a great opportunity for our students to learn stage combat,” explained Creuziger. “I like our students to explore the different areas of expertise in theater, such as stage combat. We brought in professional fight director, Katherine Coyl, to guide us through safe and exciting stage fights.”
While the students are learning safe combat on stage, the play is also teaching them life-long values. Robin Hood is known for his stance against injustice and working to help those with less.
“Robin Hood is a person standing against corruption and injustice who inspires others to do the same. In this adaptation we see the people gain the courage to speak up,” Creuziger explained.
Learning to speak up for injustice and corruption is a life lesson the students can take away from the stage with the skills they have learned on the stage to apply to their future. While most of the recent plays have taken place in the modern era, Robin Hood is opening up the students’ skill levels from cast and crew to a past century.
“The actors have been excited about learning proper stage combat, speaking in the Standard British dialect, and the crew has enjoyed costuming and propping for the 12th Century,” Creuziger said.

Students from the cast to the crew work all on aspects of the play from set to sound and lights and the costumes.
The students have been working hard to prepare for opening night on Thursday and some will have put in more than 100 hours of work preparing for Robin Hood. Prior to the curtain rising, cast will have put in over 50 hours of rehearsal and were expected to memorize lines and practice at home.
While they will have put in a lot of hours and time, Creuziger explained the hardest aspect of the Robin Hood for the students is the physical challenge.
“With the combat in Robin Hood, this play is more physically challenging than recent shows. A rehearsal can be quite a work-out,” she explained. “Also, our theater students are involved in other clubs, activities, jobs, and many take AP courses that require their time and attention. Minding their calendars can be challenging.”
Creuziger encourages the community to attend stating, “you will enjoy the play and you will not regret supporting the young artists of Rochelle.”
Robin Hood is recommended for elementary age and up and the adaption runs a little over an hour with no intermission. Cost to attend is $5 and $2 for students, teachers and educators from any school.
Show times are Thursday, Sept. 28 through Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Robin Hood
The play synopsis reads, “Robin Hood, the famous English tale of the “good outlaw” loved by the people, is an adventure for the entire family. In this staged version, we peek into Robin Hood’s inspiration and the decision to fight injustice; to become the outlaw we love today.  The Merry Band finds friendship, humor, and fierce battles in Sherwood Forest. We see Robin meet each of the familiar members of the Merry Band; Little John, Maid Marian, Will Scarlet, Much the Miller’s Son and Friar Tuck. This is the famous “good outlaw” tale of stealing from the rich, to give to the poor.  The adventure would be incomplete without the clashes with the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham.”
Cast and crew
Cast members include Jessie Ellis as Robin Hood and Nikos Konstans as John Little. Ray Antolik and Eli Ball play soldiers. Grace Yates, Brielle Jackson, Faith Worthington, Aiden Seldal, Ariel Zuercher, and Anakin Weston will play villagers. Candace McMurray is Maid Marian. Mallory Leininger will play Will Scarlet. Baxter Konstans as Much the Miller’s Son. Sarah Does will play Betsie, the Innkeeper and a Villager. Nick Whisman will be Friar Tuck. Joe Worthington is the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Ben Pflipsen is the Captain. Playing dual roles will be Ava Coglianese who appears as a Villager, Lady and Aunt Beulah. Xavier Arriaga will be a Villager, Soldier and Town Crier.
Crew Leaders are Stage Manager Judy Fulgencio, Costume Chairman Lillian Robertson, Set Chairman Matthew Malaker, Lighting Chairs Jacob Childers and Victor Tenorio, and Sound Chairman Sarah Does.
Run crew includes Jacob Childers and Victor Tenorio on lights, Gwen Papke and Sarah Stallone on sound and Judy Fulgencio, Nephy Valle, Lauren Ponto and Nathalie Herrera back stage.
Jacob Childers, Gwen Papke and Sarah Does make up the production team. While Jessie Ellis, Mallory Leininger, Lauren Ponto, Baxter Konstans, Jenavieve Hall, Nikos Konstans, Victor Tenorio, Xavier Arriaga and Gwen Papke designed props and costumes.