By Eva Andrews
In 1909, long before the Student Government Association, there was a group of thespians who formed a theater group. First called The Dramatists and later renamed the Pierrettes, this campus club has been entertaining Salem College for over a hundred years. This past March, they performed The Addams Family Musical, a story about Wednesday, the daughter of the morbid Addams family, marrying a “normal” young man. This spring musical in particular was a great success.
The ticket sales were excellent, according to Kerri Hughes, the Pierrettes vice-president for this past school year, “the buzz was huge, but we ended up with three sold out nights, even to the point where we had to find extra folding chairs and line them against the wall to fit the number of audience members.”
Currently, vice-president Hughes was elected Pierrettes president for next year during SGA elections. She is being trained currently for her future presidency under the guidance of Emily “Gil” Gilmore, the current president of Pierrettes: “Gil has kept me in the know of everything we do as well as giving me certain responsibilities to handle on my own in order to prepare me for taking over next year.”
Hughes has been a member of Pierrettes for three years and served under and took guidance from three different presidents including Gilmore. Hughes seems more than prepared for the position, and she comments that she “can call any previous president and they’ll help [her] in a heartbeat.”
Her plan is to leave the Pierrettes in a better condition after her presidency. Hughes has several ideas for things she would like to do over the next year. She is planning to raise money to pay the spring musical musicians at a higher rate. She would also like to purchase more supplies such as microphones in order to protect performers’ voices.She wants to see the Pierrettes continue to thrive and “bring the joy of theatre to Salem long after [she’s] gone.”
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