A group of 35 Holy Rosary High School students from Grades 8 to 12 will hit the stage on April 10 in a play that mixes comedy, creativity, and a splash of danger.
Container of Sharks is a parody of the hit TV show Shark Tank, but with a twist as one of the panel members is a real shark.
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“We have sharks, we have real sharks, we have contestants,” said drama teacher and director Chay White. “We (also) have a wonderful narrator who talks throughout the whole show letting us know what’s going on.”
The show follows hopeful inventors trying to win funding from a panel of billionaire investors—and one actual shark.
Audiences can expect pitches for strange and silly inventions, like a jetpack that propels kids from activity to activity so their parents never have to leave the sports bar, a fire-beam laser for annoying people, and a pitch for Jordan’s grandma’s cookie recipe.
White said the play will appeal to all ages.
“It’s appropriate for all ages,” said White. “Your young ones are going to find it funny. Your older adults are going to think it’s hilarious.”
Lead actor, Mya Hein, plays Vispin Jack, a flashy investor with big dreams.
“He is a biker dude. He’s very cool, and I I think I look very good in costume as him,” said Hein, a Grade 12 student. “He is one of the sharks, an investor. He’s just very egotistical, which is pretty suiting for me as a character.”
Hein won the Outstanding Leadership in Performing Arts award last year and is no stranger to the stage. However, now in Grade 12, she’s taking on a bigger role.
“Being a lead and being out there for everybody to learn from … that’s something I love so much about being a lead, I get to be a mentor to other students,” she said.
Hein plans to study drama and education at the University of Calgary. She hopes to become a drama teacher, but acting is still in her future.
“I will be going to auditions and stuff,” said Hein. “I’m never going to quit doing this because Samuel L. Jackson was 44 when he got his first big role … and that’s a story that’s been really cool to me.”
Meanwhile, when asked who she looks up to, Hein took some time to decide.
“Adam Driver (Star Wars, Marriage Story) … he can do funny … he’s good at playing into emotion… he’s just somebody I very much look up to,” she said.
The production has been months in the making.
“We cast in December, we started rehearsing in January,” said White. “We ran two rehearsals a week, about two hours long each.”
However, this week, the pace has picked up even more.
“For our tech week we’ve been putting in … probably going to be close to at least 15 hours,” she said.
The production includes actors, lighting crew, sound techs, and stage managers.
“I’m super proud of all of my kids,” said White. “They have done a wonderful job bringing the show together. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Hein agreed.
“Come to the show. It’s gonna be super fun,” she said. “Seeing the future of this town just thriving on stage … that’s something to be proud of.”
Container of Sharks runs one night only at Holy Rosary High School. Admission is free but donations to the program to support future students will be accepted.
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