A Year with Frog and Toad

This past February, Duchesne put on its biennial all school musical, A Year with Frog and Toad. Based off a children’s bedtime story, the musical follows a pair of amphibious acquaintances through their year. In early May, Frog, played by Emmalyn Barry and Payton Dennis, and Toad, played by Rose Barry and Emily Knight, wake up from their yearly hibernation to set off on their adventure, which includes bathing suits, a broken clock and lots and lots of cookies. Rose Barry says that she “likes the friendship of the characters,” as well as the “genuine connection between them.” 

Rose Barry as Toad (jumping, left) and Emmalyn Barry as Frog attempting to fly a kite with three doubting birds (Sophie Maus, Isabella Smith, Carolyn Walsh, Emma Ambrose, Annabelle Strange and Olivia Mafrige) in the background.

The production is run by Mr. Robert Kimbro, Mr. Greg Cot and Ms. Michelle Britton, with the music arranged by Ms. Kathy Manley. The behind-the-scenes crew is composed entirely by students of the upper and middle school, and all props and costumes are made specifically for the production by those at the school. Camille Lobb helped with microphones and helped the cast members get where they need to be. “I like being a part of the cast without having to go onstage and perform,” she said, “you build a family with the people in the cast. Being a part of the bigger picture is really fulfilling.”

Emmalyn Barry as Frog (back) and Rose Barry as Toad (front) sledding down a steep slope.

The run time of the musical was just under two hours, and the cast has been working since January to get everything perfect. Auditions took place in the fall, and the scrips were handed out soon after. As curtain came closer, the cast ran through tech week, staying at practice as late as 9 p.m.

Even though the work was exhausting for the cast members, the late-night practices helped both casts nail their performances the days of their performances. Stephanie Eklof said that tech week “was really hard, but it really helped stage management and the lighting crew, so it was worth it in the end.”