“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …”

And so it is for the Rosholt High School Drama Department as they prepare to put on “A Tale of Two Cities,” a Charles Dickens novel dramatized by Robert Johnson.

The show takes the stage at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 28 and 29, in the Rosholt High School auditorium. Tickets will be available at the door beginning one hour prior to performances. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and $3 for kindergarten through 12th-grade students.

“Our more recent productions have been quite lighthearted, and this play gives the students new experiences in working on a very serious show with a lot of emotional content and depth,” Drama Director Kathryn Kawleski said.

The play is set during the time of the French Revolution, a time of great change and great danger, when injustice was met by a lust for vengeance and a distinction was rarely made between the innocent and the guilty. Against this tumultuous historical backdrop, Dickens’ great story of unsurpassed adventure and courage unfolds.

“It’s definitely a deeper and heavier plot line,” senior Molly Andreae, who plays Miss Pross, said. “I’m usually in a role of a funny and loud character. In this production, my character also has a serious and sensible side, which is expanding my acting skills.”

Unjustly imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille, Dr. Alexander Manette is reunited with his daughter Lucie and safely transported from France to England. It would seem that they could now take up the threads of their lives in peace. As fate would have it though, the pair are summoned to the Old Bailey to testify against a young Frenchman – Charles Darnay – falsely accused of treason.

Strangely enough, Darnay bears an uncanny resemblance to another man in the courtroom, the dissolute lawyer’s clerk Sydney Carton. It is a coincidence that will have an unforgettable impact on both their lives. Brilliantly plotted, the story is rich in drama, romance and heroics, played out in dangerous times in the shadow of the guillotine.

“I think the audience will enjoy the historical background and the somewhat horrific aspects,” said senior Breanna Stelson, who plays Madame Defarge. “I am happy this particular play is my last show, and that I won’t be ending on a lovey-dovey note.”

The show includes a lot of intensity and emotion, and the actors and actresses are embracing characters that in many ways do not represent them, they said. Through it, they are learning new lessons about life.

“I have learned through my character that you may be tried and pushed many times in your life, and all you can do is prove yourself to those who doubt you,” senior Andrew Kluck, who plays Charles Darnay, said.

Younger cast members – sophomores and junior high school students – are enjoying the historical aspects and in general learning acting skills and how to work with other people, they said.

For the seniors, though, the performance is the best they could have hoped for to end their high school careers.

“I’m very fortunate to have been a part of this program for six years,” Andreae said. “Getting involved in the arts and drama has been one of the best choices I have made.”

“I hope that all that attend will enjoy our performance as much as we enjoyed bringing it to them,” Kluck said.

The production includes a cast of 41 students in seventh through 12th grade.

Tyler Fruik and Andrew Kluck will be featured as Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay, with Elizabeth Dobbe playing the role of Lucie Manette. Also featured are Breanna Stelson (Madame Defarge), Kyle Check (Ernest Defarge), Clayton Filtz (Dr. Manette), Jordan Buckles (Jarvis Lorry) and Molly Andreae (Miss Pross).

Supporting cast includes Rachel Beckland, Abby Betker, Maggie Brandl, Carissa Delikowski, Joelle Delikowski, Nick Dobbe, Alex Frasch, Tony Gagas, Nisanur Genc, Lizzi Gizzi, Dylan Gruna, Lexi Gruna, Brooklyn Karch, Mackenzie Karch, Laurie Lewandowski, Hou-yi Lin, Logan Lopez;

Cody Niewiadomski, Asa Nobessito, Natasha Ockwig, Samantha Simonis, Samantha Smiley, Eli Trzinski, Lilli Walder, Carlin Walski, Cassidy Frasch, Olivia Groshek, Rheanne Kurszewski, Morgan Simonis, Rachel Kurszewski, Erin Malek and Anna Trzinski.

Mallory Rekowski will serve as stage manager, with Nick Dobbe as assistant stage manager. The tech crew includes Patrick Betro, Mason Lehman, Ethan Simonis and John Suwyn.

The play is directed by Kathryn Kawleski, with Cheryl Kawleski serving as assistant director. Technical director is Pat Hogan.