FREEPORT – For first time-director Simon Skold, the challenge of putting on the Freeport High School musical comedy, “The Boys from Syracuse,” was not about the singing, but the dancing.

“Most of the kids have sung in the shower or sung in church, so the singing can come naturally,” he said. “Some kids have danced before, but the choreography between the two can be challenging.”

The curtain will rise on the production on Thursday, Nov. 7, with shows running through Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m., and a matinee at 2 on Sunday, Nov. 10. All shows will be held at the Freeport Performing Arts Center, adjacent to the high school.

“The Boys from Syracuse” features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and is based on William Shakespeare’s play, “The Comedy of Errors.” The production premiered on Broadway in 1938 and was adapted for film starring Martha Raye in 1940. Familiar songs from the musical include “Falling in Love with Love,” “This Can’t Be Love” and “Sing for Your Supper.”

In the play, identical twins Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse were separated from each other in a shipwreck as young children. Their servants, both named Dromio, are also long-separated identical twins. When the pair from Syracuse comes to Ephesus, a comedy of errors and mistaken identities ensues.

“It’s a great little play that not everyone knows,” said Skold. “It’s also a play with a historical legacy. Originally written by Shakespeare and adapted from a play written by a Roman 1,000 years ago, it’s an unsung classic and more like a sitcom. The last time Freeport did a musical was 14 years ago. It was definitely time to do one again.”

For the 25-year-old Skold, a 2006 graduate of Freeport High School, his directorial debut represents coming full circle. After graduation, he attended Fordham University in New York City before finishing his degree at the University of Southern Maine. He is also filling the shoes of longtime Freeport High theater director Beth Patterson, who retired after 30 years at the school. While Freeport does not have an official drama department, Skold applied for the job vacated by Patterson and also serves as an education technician.

“It’s been great interacting with former teachers and being a part of the school in a different capacity,” said Skold. “The high school is known for its support of the arts and I’m excited to be a part of that tradition.”

The production will feature 35 students who have been rehearsing for the past two months, often between sports schedules and homework, as participation is an extracurricular activity. In addition to Skold, two Freeport students, Zoe Fox and Cassie Parker, and one mom, Jen Fox, are helping with the choreography.

“Between the four of us, we are choreographing the whole show, said Skold. “It isn’t a dance-heavy show, but it is the first time I have done this kind of work with high school students. I am a bit of a dancer myself, meaning movement isn’t completely foreign to me. Plus, the Foxes and Cassie are a big help.”

The music will be performed by an eclectic group of musicians picked by the music director, Jesse Wakeman. The lead roles are played by Ethan Whited, Dalton Chapman, Evan Tims, Daniel Sinclair, Molly Brown, Fiona Harbert Luce and Deidre Sachs.

“Costumes are a group effort, led by the fabulous Lori Grotz, mom of one of the cast members,” said Skold. “The team includes Erik Ly, Molly Kennedy, and Emily Ladeau.”

Only a relatively few years removed from his high school acting days, Skold vividly remembers the lessons he learned from the experience – lessons, he said, that are important in school and in life.

“High school is a time of life when kids are developing and figuring out who they are,” said Skold. “When you’re walking the halls of school there is a lot of acting going on and behaving the way you’re supposed to behave in school, wearing the right clothes, saying the right things.

“In theater, we have to take off that costume to put on a different character. You can shed insecurities and the little boxes the kids put themselves in,” he said. “You see such genuine personality on stage, even though they are pretending to be someone else. It’s a confidence they can carry over to other aspects of their life. It’s why I love working with high school students.”

A CLOSER LOOK

“The Boys From Syracuse,” a musical comedy, will be presented by Freeport High School students on Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 7-9, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m., at the Freeport Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available at the door, $10 for adults, and $5 for students and seniors.

First-time Freeport High School theater director Simon Skold is at the helm for the musical comedy “The Boys From Syracuse.” The production will run from Nov. 7-10.Freeport High School students, from left, Daniel Sinclair, Deidre Sachs and Dalton Sinclair, rehearse the the upcoming musical comedy, “The Boys from Syracuse.”