When Mount Carmel School’s Theatre Club reopens Hollywood Theaters this Friday with its next production, “Zero2Hero”, the movie will feature two characters, Re’ha and Roze, who face off over several things that many teenage girls fight over, including a boy. Taking on these roles are rising Junior, Jill Mallari, who plays Re’ha, and rising Senior, Aleia Santos, who plays Roze.

Playing the roles has been therapeutic for both actors. Jill found a lot in common with her character. “When I first read the script, I thought Re’ha was a lot like me, so it’s helped me deal with similar issues in my life.” For Aleia, playing Roze “has been such a wild but also wonderful experience.” Like Jill, Aleia sees a lot of herself in her character. She said, “My favorite part about playing this role is it’s really helping me understand why people are the way they are, especially when it comes to stressful situations.”

While Jill is a veteran performer who has been active in the Theatre Club and the National Speech and Debate Association, this is Aleia’s first time performing. Despite the challenges of acting for the first time, Aleia has enjoyed the process. She said, “Honestly, I’ve just been having a lot of fun, working with my classmates, upperclassmen, and others.” She added, “I’ve learned so much about all the effort it takes to make a really great production and I’m grateful for the family that we’ve become.”

Despite her experience in the performing arts, Jill pushed herself to grow with this new role. She said, “Unlike theatre, which requires a bit of melodrama, film requires natural acting that has been a weird but interesting adjustment.” She added, “It was kind of hard, but it definitely challenged me to improve as an aspiring actress.”

As for the story, Jill and Aleia appreciate that the movie connects to the first movie, “Zero to Hero”, while also charting forward with a new dynamic. The first movie, starring Kevin Bautista and Victor Cabrera, was released 10 years ago and the current movie serves as a sequel to that movie. As Aleia put it, “I loved the first one because it was heartwarming with cliches like the good guy and the bad guy, with a love interest and a sidekick. But, with this movie, there’s more to it, and there’s a lot for everyone to learn.”

For Jill, who loves rom-com movies, she said, “I found it interesting how both films feature characters who chase after someone else, but eventually those characters find themselves. I like the contradictory stance that the thing they’re fighting over is what reunites them in the end.”

As for the message of the movie, Aleia and Jill both agree that it is something everyone should watch and learn from. Referring to the teacher character in the movie, Aleia said, “Like Mr. Prospero says: All really good points, but it’s never that simple.” She added, “There’s something for everyone in this movie.”

Jill noted, “Since the story takes place in high school, it’s a very vulnerable position for teenagers. It’s a time when they get caught up in their emotions, especially about boys. Some simple situations like that can ruin really good friendships. By watching this, especially teenagers, they can relate this to themselves and see possible outcomes of their decisions.”

“Zero2Hero” stars Jill Mallari and Aleia Santos as Re’ha and Roze, two school rivals who are mentored by their older cousins, Richard and Zero, played by the two stars of the first film, Kevin Bautista and Victor Cabrera. The movie is directed by Jedric Villar and was written by school president and the director of the first movie, Galvin Deleon Guerrero, along with Theatre Club AlumKnight Justin Ocampo.

“Zero2Hero” will have two screenings at Hollywood Theatre next week Friday, May 21, one at 6:00 pm and the other at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at Herman’s Modern Bakery, Java Joe’s, Kagman Mobil, Naked Fish, Shell Puerto Rico, Shirley’s Susupe, Tribe Marianas, and the MCS Business Office. To comply with COVID-19 Mitigation Guidelines, tickets are limited and available only on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Zero2Hero” is part of the Theatre Club’s ongoing celebration of its 25th anniversary. Launched in 1996, the MCS Theatre Club celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, commemorating over 50 theatrical and cinematic productions, including several Disney musicals, numerous Shakespeare plays, and a number of original productions. The club started this year’s celebration in February with the sold-out premiere of the latest entry in its award-winning “We Drank Our Tears series, the Stories of Visitacion, Henry, and Dave” at American Memorial Park. Those films were followed up by April’s sold-out performances of the club’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, “As You Like It”. Later this year, the club will continue the celebration with another feature film, “Isla”, and the classic musical, “The Sound of Music”.

“Zero2Hero” was made possible by the generous support of Frances Sablan Arriola, Great Harvest Bread Co., KKMP, Northern Marianas College, the Northern Marianas Sports Association, Saipan Iceland Amusement Arcade, San Vicente Elementary School, and Triple J Enterprises.

Funding for this production is provided by the CNMI CARES Relief Fund for Organizations and supported by the National Endowment for the Arts through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020. For more information, visit  www.mountcarmelsaipan.com.