Rockland Country Day School will stage “Return to the Forbidden Planet” on April 16th, 17th and 18th in the Putter Gymnasium. The jukebox musical, which includes previously released songs from the 1950’s and ‘60’s, is loosely based on Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and the science fiction film “Forbidden Planet.”

Performances will be at 7:00 PM on April 16th; 2:00 and 7:00 PM on April 17th; and 2:00 PM on April 18th. For tickets, contact Drama Director Marsha Predovic at 845-268-6802.

Guitar and songwriting instructor Billy Roues and musical instructor Julia Liu will serve as musical directors. Gina Martin will choreograph the show. Dennis Predovic will head set design, with help from students in set construction.

The theater program at the school is also participating in the Metropolitan High School Theater Awards. The initiative, which was established by Danielle Rudess of the Helen Hayes Youth Theater, celebrates the hard work, talent and enthusiasm of students in high school musicals throughout Rockland and Westchester counties, as well as Bergen County, New Jersey. In recent years, RCDS has collected several nominations and awards from this competition.

Tim Bidon, a senior at Rockland Country Day School, has been chosen by LoHud theater columnist Peter Kramer as one of three student writers who will contribute to Kramer’s blog, “My High School Musical: Along for the Ride as Musicals Come to Life.” Tim will study journalism at Ithaca College in the fall.