June 2, 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

PVO announces Junior High Honor Roll

April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

Highest Honors– In highest GPA order 7th grade- Miranda Loosa, Caleb Ochs, Talan Miller, Colin Wayland, Brody Hausman, Hayden Williams,...

St. Joseph Middle School 6th grade honor roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

FIRST NAME LAST NAME Cali Argo Avery Bigelow Bristol Brown Avery Carter Kinley Dalton Dominick Fletcher Addyson Friese Vincent Gagich...

Hallett is new SRO in place at St. Joseph, PVO schools

September 10, 2019

September 10, 2019

Champaign County Sheriff’s Deputy Shawn Hallett has always held the police in high regard. “As a child, I remember having...

Get to know Dan Thompson

March 21, 2025

March 21, 2025

Dan Thompson is running for St. Joseph Grade School Board. What motivated you to run for school board? I was...

SJO still waiting on property tax money

July 16, 2019

July 16, 2019

St. Joseph-Ogden High School has only received roughly $22,000 of the money it is due from Champaign County property taxes....

St. Joseph Middle School 8th grade Honor Roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

FIRST NAME LAST NAME Kira Aase Miles Atwood Lucas Barton Coleton Beckett Draven Black Blake Cavanaugh Hunter Cler Alivia Combs...

SJO Second Quarter High Honor Roll

January 13, 2022

January 13, 2022

FreshmenBarton, RylieBeckett, EJBenoit, AudreyBesson, WilliamBonny, SarahBrazelton, HoldenBrown, LandonChristians, PresleeClampitt, MadisonDavenport, AerolynDewese, LaurenDietiker, EllaDitchfield, LukeEnnis, JacksonFranzen, SavannaFunk, AddisonGaines, KaidenGerdes, TaytonGetty, OliviaGuido,...

Live at SJO, March 27, 2023

March 27, 2023

March 27, 2023

I am here at SJO tonight so you don’t have to be. I missed 30 minutes but it looks like...

Live at SJO school board, August 22, 2022

August 22, 2022

August 22, 2022

I am here at school board! Greg Smith has volunteered to drive extracurricular. There’s a super long list of personnel...

Senior Homecoming Court Spotlight… Bailey Dowling

September 27, 2019

September 27, 2019

St. Joseph-Ogden Senior Bailey Dowling is honored to be on the Homecoming Court. “It’s pretty cool being on homecoming court...

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...

‘I love everything about our new space’

February 15, 2023

February 15, 2023

The drama program at St. Joseph-Ogden High School has a new home. “It means a lot to this program and...

Sorority gives grants to teachers

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

Psi Iota Xi is a National Sorority with local chapters in various midwestern states.  This philanthropic group helps people.  The...

Sign ‘em up: SJO, Wagners help recognize high school seniors during pandemic

April 17, 2020

April 17, 2020

St. Joseph-Ogden High School senior Jordan Stiverson received a surprise when he looked out his window on Tuesday. SJO Principal...

5 Questions with Cohen Sands

January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

We asked the members of the Heritage Bass Chorus five questions. Here are Cohen Sands answers. What does it mean...

Comments
Leave a Reply