April 4, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

5 Questions with Al Pearman

Al Pearman plays Ben in St. Joseph-Ogden’s “The Descendents”. We asked Al five questions before the final show today at 2 p.m. Here are the answers.

Describe Ben.
Ben is the polite,and perhaps too kind, soon-to-be King of Auradon who has aspirations of finally connecting the two parts of his disjointed kingdom with the help of a few choice “villains.”

Was it challenging doing a play that people are so familiar with?
Absolutely. It’s much more difficult to make a character your own when you have such big shoes to fill, especially for well-known characters like Ben and the Evils. But I think it’s also an opportunity to show the audience how dedicated we are to our characters and to experiment within the range of what a well-known character would do.

What was the most challenging part of the production?
The most difficult part of our show this year was almost certainly the time constraints. Between the finishing of our new auditorium and moving show dates earlier to accommodate other conflicts we were left with less time than I would’ve liked to get this show off the ground, but I think we still did a great job despite those hurdles.

What was your favorite part?
My favorite part of our productions every year is the choreography. Our wonderful choreographer Darcy never fails to make spectacular dance numbers that are fun for both us performers and the audience. I may not be the best dancer up there, but I’m almost certain I’m having the most fun!

What can people expect from the play?
You can expect a great show full of villainy, magic, and some great music to match! We’ve all put so much work into this show and we hope you all come to love it as much as we do.

in Schools
Banner
Related Posts

St. Joseph Middle School Announces 7th Grade Honor Roll

April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

7TH GRADE HIGH HONORS Logan Allen Owen Baltzell Addisyn Barclay Samantha Beetz Kyler Brown Chloe Burkhalter Rachel Divan Joseph Frasca...

‘Helping them reach their potential is humbling and rewarding at the same time’

January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

A performance today will culminate one of the most powerful artistic and personal experiences Justin Lee has had in his...

‘There is no one more deserving of this honor’

June 26, 2020

June 26, 2020

Glenn Fisher loves St. Joseph-Ogden High School. For decades, Fisher’s main concern was that the facilities and sports fields at...

‘I have absolutely loved portraying her’

April 3, 2022

April 3, 2022

Sophia McDade loves everything about the Addams Family production. The senior, who is acting in her second show with the...

COVID cases not tied to schools

November 10, 2020

November 10, 2020

There have been no cases of COVID-19 traced to any of the schools in St. Joseph.   Grade school Superintendent...

St. Joseph Middle School 5th grade honor roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

FIRST NAME LAST NAME Sophia Albrecht Madison Beeler Abigail Bewley Kynleigh Blunier Connor Bowman Naomi Cavanaugh Konlee Christians Henry Cluver...

SJO second quarter honor roll

January 13, 2022

January 13, 2022

FreshmenAllinger, OliviaAltenbaumer, JaredBirt, EliBirt, MilesBowlin, ChazButts, LandenChatterton, SarahCoffey, HaydenFisher, JackFrerichs, LylaGriebat, JoeHarms, BrodieJohnson, SethJones, DylanKrall, AidenLacey, AbigailLackey, LoganMarschke, AudraPalmer, ChayseReifsteck,...

Harper brings Wednesday Addams to life

April 2, 2022

April 2, 2022

The characters in the Addams Family are well known. But that didn’t stop the actors at St. Joseph-Ogden from putting...

Masks not optional in St. Joseph schools; PVO allows masks to be optional

February 7, 2022

February 7, 2022

St. Joseph-Ogden High School Superintendent Brian Brooks is asking the community for patience.In an email sent to parents Sunday, the...

How I get it done: St. Joseph-Ogden Principal GARY PAGE

June 1, 2023

June 1, 2023

We ask local leaders to discuss their views on leadership, how they set goals and what a typical day is...

SJO Honor roll

January 11, 2020

January 11, 2020

FreshmenCramer, Morgan Adams, Madison Alwes, Canyon Blackburn, Ethan Burch, Tyler Collins, Bryce Dial, Aleah Dow, Abigail Funk, Alex Harms, Hallie...

SJO could return to full in-person instruction

March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021

St. Joseph-Ogden High School is starting to plan for the future. Superintendent Brian Brooks said the school is looking into...

SJO Fourth Quarter High Honor Roll

July 11, 2023

July 11, 2023

FRESHMANAmes, TrevorBarrowman, KylieBarrowman, LexieBeyers, KaitlynBird, EmilyBlackburn-Kelley, TimBonny, AidenBrooks, AddisonBytnar, SaraCampbell, ShelbyCarlson, JacobCarlson, WilliamChaudhary, RudraChilders, AdelynEricksen, KatieEvans, CallieGetty, AbigailGetty, CamdenHaley, WilliamHarper,...

SJO seniors earn $2 million in scholarships

June 14, 2019

June 14, 2019

The senior class at St. Joseph-Ogden High School received $2 million in scholarship money. Principal Gary Page told the Board...

Heritage Junior High Honor Roll

January 19, 2023

January 19, 2023

HONOR ROLL Heritage Junior High has compiled the list of honor roll students for the second quarter. Astudent must have...

Comments
Leave a Reply