News Photo by Darby Hinkley The Alpena High School Masquers Club is presenting the comedy, “The Internet is Distract — Oh Look A Kitten!” for one weekend only, this Friday through Sunday. Pictured, back row, from left, are Faith Erard, Keira Jones, Autumn “Charlie” Hershberger, Eva Traylor, and Lillian Huotari. In the middle row, from left, are Timothy Hoggard, Ethan Gilbertson, Lilian Spigelmyre, Jayda Moore, Aja McMath, and Aubrey Burns. In front, from left, are Addison Wesaw, McKenzy McVannel, Anna Noble, Rowan Belleville, Adelyn Taylor, and Starr Grant. Not pictured is Joseph Novak.

ALPENA — The Alpena High School Masquers Club is back, and ready to present Ian McWethy’s comedy “The Internet is Distract–Oh Look A Kitten!”

The play, featuring a cast of over 20 students, will run this Friday through Sunday. It opens at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, and runs at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. All shows will be held at the Stanley C. Beck Auditorium inside Alpena High School.

Tickets are $10 per adult, $5 per child and teen ages 4 to 17, and free for children age 3 and younger. Tickets will be available at the door.

After a two-year hiatus, the Masquers Club was revived this school year, offering a creative opportunity for young actors and those interested in learning behind-the-scenes production work.

Kendra Neumann is this year’s community advisor of Masquers Club and directer of “The Internet is Distract–Oh Look A Kitten!”

She was impressed with the number of students to take interest in Masquers Club.

“I was so excited when that many came in and had interest for it,” Neumann said.

She explained what to expect from this play.

“It’s a comedy by Ian McWethy,” Neumann said. “It’s so funny. Basically, all of the kids play websites and social medias, and it calls the internet out for what it is … You get pulled in so many directions, and there’s so much on the internet.”

She said it’s hilarious, but there’s also a lesson to it.

“What I really liked about the show is that it comments on how the internet is, kind of, destroying human connectivity,” Neumann said, such as “actually having a conversation, and being with people instead of people through a screen.”

Neumann was excited to do this play, especially with high school students, because she said the message is clear.

“It’s not so much, ‘don’t ever utilize screen time,’ but ‘limit yourself,'” she said. “You know, still live your life.”

Neumann explained the premise.

“Micah, our main character, she’s trying to finish her English paper on ‘The Great Gatsby’ and she can’t remember what color Daisy’s light is,” Neumann said. “If it’s green or if it’s blue. She can’t remember. So, she ends up on Wikipedia, and then she’s trying to find her friend to ask, so she’s on Facebook, Tinder, and Twitter and SnapChat. She just gets yanked to all these different crazy website and internet situations.”

Rowan Belleville, a 17-year-old junior, stars as Micah.

“As soon as I got onstage, it was really fun,” she said. “I was really excited to do it.”

She said her character “keeps getting distracted, and goes down a bunch of different rabbit holes.”

Addison Wesaw, 16 and also a junior, plays Nina Benson.

“I am a side character that Micah reaches out to and hopes to figure out the light color,” said Wesaw, who is also the stage manager of the show. “I do a lot of the background work.”

In addition to Belleville and Wesaw, the cast includes McKenzy McVannel, Anna Noble, Adelyn Taylor, Starr Grant, Faith Erard, Keira Jones, Autumn “Charlie” Hershberger, Eva Traylor, Lillian Huotari, Timothy Hoggard, Ethan Gilbertson, Lilian Spigelmyre, Jayda Moore, Aja McMath, Aubrey Burns, and Joseph Novak.

Neumann said the students have been doing “absolutely phenomenal.”

“These kids are so driven and excited,” she said. “They’ve learned their lines, they’re always here. It’s honestly been an absolute joy to direct them because they’re all so excited and into it, and ready to be here.”

Neumann was president of Masquers Club when she attended Alpena High School. She graduated in 2010.

She said Masquers Club defined her high school experience.

“I was really excited to come back and get it going again,” Neumann said.

She said arts programs like Masquers Club are essential.

“My favorite way to explain arts education and the need for it is, ‘Do you enjoy TV shows and movies?’ That’s what everybody goes home and does, and then, arts programs like this aren’t funded,” Neumann said. “Where do they think those skills and skill sets start? High school theater programs.”