November 20, 2025 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

Live at SJO school board, Oct. 24, 2022

October 24, 2022

October 24, 2022

It’s the special education department and me here at the school board. They are doing a curriculum review. (I seriously...

PVO Junior High Second quarter honor roll

January 13, 2023

January 13, 2023

7th Grade Highest Honors (3.7-4.0)Tyler BonnyIsabella FrerichsCasen GoffGaby GomezGeorge HaleRoyce LoschenLane McKinneyAtleigh MillerAirin RashKeegan RobertsKorinne TravisEvelyn ValentineLucas WatersAdyn Westerfield 7th...

PVO Junior High 8th grade honor roll

November 8, 2023

November 8, 2023

8th Grade Highest HonorsTyler BonnyGaby ChimalIsabella FrerichsCasen GoffGeorge HaleKellyn IrwinRoyce LoschenLane McKinneyConnor McMahonAtleigh MillerLeah PruittAirin RashKeegan RobertsKorinne TravisEvelyn ValentineLucas Waters...

SJO announces Illinois State Scholars

December 15, 2023

December 15, 2023

Fifteen St. Joseph-Ogden students have been named Illinois State Scholars. The State Scholar Program publicly and personally identifies graduating high...

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...

Kids Say….

April 5, 2019

April 5, 2019

Every week we ask five students from a local school to answer a question on a worksheet. This week the...

St. Joseph Middle School 8th grade honor rolls

January 19, 2022

January 19, 2022

ST. JOSEPH MIDDLE SCHOOL —  2nd Quarter, 2021 8th Grade High Honor Roll Ames, Trevor Barrowman, Kylie Barrowman, Lexie Beyers,...

St. Joseph Grade School to keep hybrid schedule for now

February 16, 2021

February 16, 2021

While families with students at St. Joseph Grade School and Middle School may want their students back in school more...

Emmert expresses himself via artwork

May 1, 2019

May 1, 2019

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Nathan Emmert loves creating art work. “I have always enjoyed making different kinds of art,” he said....

St. Joseph Grade School updates parents on COVID concerns

August 31, 2021

August 31, 2021

Fifty-five students from St. Joseph Grade School are in quarantine for exposure to COVID-19. Forty-two of those students are related...

PVO to honor beloved teacher

March 13, 2019

March 13, 2019

Prairieview-Ogden will have a new award to honor one of their most beloved teachers. Kathy Klauda, the mother of Jennifer...

St. Joseph Middle School 7th grade honor roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

FIRST NAME LAST NAME Ramsay Arnold Henry Beeler Adam Bello Teagan Blacker Bailey Blakley Nora Buckley Grant Clark Logan Crider...

SJO announces academic letter winners for the 2020-21 school year

October 12, 2021

October 12, 2021

Thanks to Appl Sanitary for sponsoring our honor rolls and academic awards posts. St. Joseph-Ogden High School hosted an Academic...

SJO Winter Sports Award Winners

March 12, 2020

March 12, 2020

Basketball CheerleadingTia Pruitt, Sr.Raegan Crippen, Jr.Vania Kaenzig, Jr.Alyssa Lynch, Jr.Alyssa Maddock, Jr.Ava Meyer, So.JoLeena Reynolds, So.Alexis Taylor, So.Regan Uden, So.Leah...

Comments
Leave a Reply