VHS Senior Ned Denton may be quiet in the classroom, but proved to be loud on stage. On February 7-9 nights in the Verona High school play 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Ned made his acting debut playing the role of Mitch Mahoney. This character is an ex-convict on parole. Mitch is doing community service by comforting the eliminated contestants.
This character “has a heart inside his rough exterior,” says Ned, “It was difficult to relate to.”
“I was nervous because I had never done something like this before,” states Ned with a shrug.
Ned mentioned that this play was a learning experience. “I learned a lot from watching other students who had acting experience.”
Ned mentioned also having met many new people that he would not have interacted with otherwise and is glad he got a chance to meet these people before graduating this spring.
However, he didn’t go into the play with a lot of expectations since he had no idea what it would entail.
Ned admitted that the role piqued his interest in theater. When asked if he would pursue a role in theatre later in life Ned simply said “It’s a possibility.”
Although this was Ned’s first acting experience he cannot say it was his first time on stage. Ned has studied piano most of his life. He is currently in a 6-piece folk band named The Brothers. They perform locally at places likeInsanitea and will be performing on March 24 at Just Jakes in Montclair. Ned is also the founder of the Jam Club at VHS.
Ned has been the singer in a few bands, and when asked if this experience made the role in the play easier Ned said “I wouldn’t say I was confident…but it wasn’t a totally new experience for me.”
While Ned’s life seems to be filled with music and acting, he still finds the time to be on the varsity lacrosse and soccer teams as well as maintaining a strong enough academic record to be a member of the National Honor Society.
