It’s a case of life imitating art – and art imitating life – for Cochrane student Ben Gofton, a Bow Valley Bobcats football champion and one of the leads of an upcoming production of High School Musical.
“I relate to my character a lot,” said the 17-year-old senior, who plays Troy, “a young man caught in between the worlds of sports and arts.”
“I played on the football team this year, but I also have this undying love for the arts and the theatre.”
The stage version of the wildly popular 2006 film of the same name follows Troy, a popular basketball player whose social circle doesn’t approve of his new friendship with brainiac Gabriella or the pair’s connection over their mutual love of music.
The “jocks” and the “geeks” suffer through a clash of ideals, but ultimately realize they’re all in it together – and they sing about it in the production’s final number.
“Everything about it … it’s just amazing,” said Gofton of the message of the musical, whose own graduation ring – which bears a Bobcats football helmet symbol on one side, and a treble clef on the other – sums up his own story well.
“I think it’s a really personal thing – you develop a liking for certain aspects of each.”
The curtain rises next weekend for Gofton and 47 fellow actors and singers from Grades 9 through 12 who make up the High School Musical cast. The production is putting on three evening shows and a matinee at the Cochrane RancheHouse Theatre from March 16 to 18.
Gofton’s co-lead in the play is 17-year-old Alex Smith, who said she also relates to her character, Gabriella, whom she describes as a “shy girl.”
“That used to be what I was like. (Theatre) kind of forces you to step out of your comfort zone,” said Smith, who fell in love with acting in Grade 9, and has since been cast in Bow Valley’s The Nutcracker, The Little Mermaid and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “When you’re on stage performing, it’s the best feeling in the world to me. It’s fun.”
Drama teacher Allison Fossheim said she chose High School Musical as she felt it would speak to both the students of Bow Valley – and to anyone who has had trouble feeling comfortable in their own skin.
“It really challenges the cliques and the status quo,” Fossheim said. “You can be yourself: you can be a skater dude who loves to bake.”
Smith will attend University of Lethbridge next fall to work toward becoming a drama teacher, while Gofton will head to university in Virginia to study anthropology and music.
Gofton said, although his own two worlds – and those of his on-stage persona – may seem very different, he has discovered that the lessons he’s learned from both his passions are surprisingly similar.
“All of these extra-curricular activities teach you about life. Everybody has to pull their weight in order to put on a good show,” he said. “Everyone finds a way to … blend together.”
Tickets for High School Musical are $5 for students and $10 for adults and can be purchased at Bow Valley High School or at the door.
