Willy Wonka cast did their read through in the auditorium on Feb. 26. Photo by: Drama Department Instagram

The cast for Willy Wonka is announced and rehearsals are underway

The Ventura High School Drama Department cast list for the upcoming production of Willy Wonka was released on Feb. 24, only one day after the callbacks. The publication of the cast list stated that rehearsals would start the next Monday. 

 Co-director and assistant teacher of the Drama Department, Arden Smith, said, “So we came up with a list that had multiple people for each role there. Call backs ended right around 8:45-9:00 p.m. and then we were still at school at 10:30 p.m., and we left at like 10:30-10:35 p.m. So in light of things, it doesn’t sound like a long time, but we did debate for a while.”

The play has a total of 27 characters, with 7 main characters. Willy Wonka is being played by Adam Hibberd ‘24, Charlie Bucket by Cadence West ‘25, Veruca Salt by Ada Sheeran ‘25, Violet Beauregarde by Harley Nix ‘24, Mike Teavee by Jagger Smith ‘26, Augustus Gloop by Eliot Story ’26 and Grandpa Joe by Oliver Henn ‘26. 

West said, “The Charlie Bucket role probably needs a decent amount of commitment because you have to learn the whole script, you have to learn all the songs, and since you’re on stage most of the time, you don’t ever really get a break. We have rehearsals pretty much every day except for weekends for like two months, so it’s a pretty big commitment.”

Rehearsals will last through the months of March and April, until the performances which are at the end of April and start of May. The show dates are on April 25-28 and on May 2-5.

Quinn McMurtry ‘24, said, “I don’t have too much. I am mostly in act one, ‘cause that’s the Charlie Bucket family, and then I come in with a song at the very end. So not too much but I am on a bed the entire time so that’s kinda nice to just lay down.”

Nix said, “I’m fully committing to this role because it’s very important to me as a lead finally.” 

Jonah Tillery ‘25 said, “[My role] requires a good amount of commitment to where I need to be at the majority of the rehearsals.”

The production of Willy Wonka is mainly run by students, except for drama teachers Stefoni Rossiter and Arden Smith. The entire tech crew is students of all grades. The sets are made in first period stagecraft class.