By Mary Carter
Eagle Times Correspondent
Claremont, NH — From an early age, Catherine “Cat” Gessner was destined for the stage.
Larissa Cahill, current Artistic Director at the Claremont Opera House, was Gessner’s high school theater arts teacher and mentor. “As a performer, Cat was hard-working, intense and often self-critical,” said Cahill.
Gessner was deeply involved in school plays, lending her talent with choreography for Stevens High School musicals. “It takes guts and a level of maturity to work with your peers,” said Cahill. Gessner had also assisted with mentoring, stage direction and choreography for many of her Claremont Middle School drama productions. She even brought homemade cookies and snacks for the kids.
“As a sixth-grader, Cat always came to rehearsals asking how she could help,” said Claremont’s Chris Terrell. Terrell was the CMS afterschool theater producer at that time. “Cat instinctively knew there was more to a show than standing on stage and reciting lines.”
While away at college, Gessner would continue to design dance numbers for Cahill’s high school musicals, coming home to instruct and rehearse them. “She created complex routines and was fastidious working with the kids to make them stars” Cahill said. “Cat was incredible to watch.”
After 15 years at Stevens, Cahill left in 2019 to teach at an American International School outside of Cairo. Gessner had been working as a marketing manager in Boulder, Colorado when she noticed that Stevens High was actively seeking a theater arts teacher. Gessner reached out to Cahill for a letter of recommendation. Cahill commended Gessner’s grit and ability to challenge herself, doing what was best for Claremont’s students and the community. The rest is standing ovation history.
Gessner’s current student production is the fast-action comedic farce within a farce, “Noises Off.” Three cast members — Dominic Myers, Nikki Bouchard and Ady Vire — were interviewed on Alex Herzog’s December 20 episode of “Along the River”. These young actors had nothing but praise for their dedicated theater arts teacher. For Gessner, that’s a two-way street.
“These students continually surprise me,” Gessner said. “They are incredibly creative in ways I don’t even think of. I admire their resourcefulness. They make me laugh and smile.”
During his “On the River” interview, Stevens High junior Dominic Myers called “Noises Off” something to be proud of. Myers thanked everyone who donated via the online platform “Go Fund Me” for the lumber to build the complex stage set. “This show would not have been possible without the love and support of everyone in our community,” Myers said.
Gessner hopes that the community will further support her talented Stevens High School students by coming to see “Noises Off” at the Claremont Opera House: at 7 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Jan. 11 to 13, with a matinee at 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 13. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for adults — cash only — and are available through cast members or by contacting Cat Gessner at [email protected].
Tickets will also be available at a higher price at the door.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.