Where she’s from or where she goes, few are sure. One things is certain: Mary Poppins and company delighted audiences last weekend at Stanley-Boyd High School.

Playing in three showings (two Saturday and one Sunday) with over 700 attendees, Mary Poppins Jr. saw the Stanley-Boyd Drama Club tell the story of the Banks family, residents of London in the 1910s. The Banks family is led by Mr. Banks (Easton Holmes), an investment banker devoted to work and economy. Mr. Banks is married to Mrs. Banks (Lucy Wundrow) with two children named Jane and Michael (Avery Allen) and David Steinmetz). The children are watched over by a nanny chosen by Mrs. Banks, while home life in general can be disconnected. Mary Poppins (Chloe Isenberger) comes in response to an ad upon departure of the previous nanny, helping bring the family back together again. Along the way she takes a brief hiatus, during which Miss Andrews (Emily Brenner) comes to briefly make an appearance, known as Mr. Bank’s old nanny and rather strict.

Before long the children seek out Bert (Morgan Gundlach), a chimney sweep and friend of Mary Poppins, who helps bring Poppins Back. Along the way the characters learn to connect and have fun, with song and dance providing levity to the production.

Stanley-Boyd Drama Club Advisor Kayleigh Steinmetz shared more on what went into production, opening the show Saturday afternoon by thanking high school principal and husband Nate Steinmetz for building the drama sets over the last 12 years as well as co-directors Louella Derrico and Dakota Derks for help with the production. Derks painted the sets and Derrico--also the school choir director--taught the songs. Steinmetz also recognized nine-year Drama Club veteran and senior Lucy Wundrow (Mrs. Banks) for outstanding drama club member in the Saturday afternoon opening.

Steinmetz shared that the cast had worked on the play since mid-summer.

“We started in July and spent probably August and September, almost three and a half months with backstage time and dancing,” she said of the production. “There was a lot of learning dances and when school started we had morning and night practices, so just a lot of time and effort went into the set.

Lead characters Easton Holmes (Mr. Banks), Lucy Wundrow (Mrs. Banks), Chloe Isenberger (Mary Poppins), and Morgan Gundlach (Bert) shared more after the show.

“It’s about a family that’s very disconnected with each other, and them learning the lessons of life and coming together,” Holmes said of the plot, a view seconded by Wundrow and Isenberger.

Asked about his character’s childhood and its influence on who Mr. Banks became, Holmes said it was strict.

“His nanny, Miss Andrews, was really mean and cross, and would keep him away from his parents,” Holmes said. “It made im like not really like his wife, his children, but throughout the play he learns to love his family.” Mr. Banks used to run away from Miss Andrews to a place called Miss Corry’s Talking Shop, where he would get gingerbread stars and hide them from his nanny in a little vase. Mr. Banks later undergoes a time where he expects to be fired from the bank for a bad investment call, which is reversed when he protects the bank from a bad loan, earning praise from the chairman (Skylar Gohde).

As for Mrs. Banks changes over the play meanwhile, Wundrow said her character went from reserved to learning to stand up for herself.

“So in the beginning she’s kind of reserved and she doesn’t want to stand up for herself or her family,” Wundrow said of Mrs. Banks. “But in the end, she stands up for her husband, and that’s her family.”

As for chimney sweep Bert, Gundlach said Bert and Mary Poppins always had a connection.

“They’re like longtime friends,” Gundlach said. “And they’ve just always had a connection. I’m not sure where they met, but they’re just really good friends. He’s a cheerful guy.”

So where is Mary Poppins from?

“The sky,” Isenberger says of her character.