by Xavier Marshall-Booker Staff Reporter ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Those participating in the Atholton Drama Department have recently been able to step into the shoes of playwrights such as Sophocles and Antonin Artaud and produce their own theatrical pieces. These students have made this possible in their direction of a number of student-produced plays. The slew of student-produced plays has allowed those participating in drama to write, direct, and act in plays produced by Atholton students. Though most students involved in the drama department have already participated in theatrical productions this year, the student-produced plays provided them with a different experience. “[The student-produced plays] are a great opportunity for anyone who normally wouldn’t get a big part in the school’s play to get a part in a play or musical,” said Junior Gina Eichert, who acted in Melia Stuppy and Chelsea Miller’s reproduction of Jean-Paul Sartre’s play No Exit. No Exit is a tale of three people condemned to Hell. However, they realize that Hell is not the perpetual inferno they believed it to be. They discover that the hell they’ve been sent to is merely the torturing of one another rather than torture from a supernatural and malevolent being. While each individual play presented actors with specific hurdles, the directors were challenged by the new role that they had to adopt. Directing a play without the assistance of an experienced teacher challenged them with new responsibilities, but they were able to completely take the lead. “I’ve always been a part of the drama department at Atholton, but it’s always been as an actor. Directing has given me a chance to not only help develop my fellow students’ talents but to also look at my own style of acting and take it to the next level of play. Student-produced plays may not always be the most intricate or amazing performances on Atholton’s stage but it offers a chance for more people in the department to get their chance in the spotlight. It’s also a good experience for the directors who get to play the leadership role where they might not otherwise,” said Senior Alan Ghandi. When the showcase took place on April 20th, audience members agreed the performances were far above par. The first of the three plays, No Exit, began precisely at 7:30 PM and each actor perfectly portrayed the demeanor of his or her character, as expressed in the original piece by Jean-Paul Sartre. After the conclusion of the first act and a prompt intermission, the second show of the night, Steven Deitz’s The Spot, began. The Spot is a satirical piece that pokes fun at the ups and downs of forming a political campaign. The play could be dubbed a modern-day version of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle for its exposure of major social and political problems. Specifically, The Spot focuses on the makings of political parties and the advertisements they produce. The stars of the play impressed the audience with their ability to vividly capture the aspects of the phony political campaigns of America. After a short intermission and a performance by the Atholton High School Improv Troupe, the showcasing of Squawk! began as the final performance of the night. Produced by Brad Plaxen and directed by Ben Osheroff, Squawk! is the tale of the two brothers,Peter and Vlad, who own a pet store. After kidnapping two employees from the pet store across the street, “Pet-O-Philes,” Vlad feels that to eliminate the competition he must do away with the captives. Peter insists that Vlad doesn’t kill them and as an argument between the brothers ensues, an elderly woman walks in on the pair and inadvertently throws herself into the web of crimes that the two brothers have spun. When Plaxen allowed questions and feedback post Squawk!’s conclusion, the audience provided mixed reviews. Through the student-produced plays, members of the Atholton Drama community gained experience working together to organize plays and bring them to production. Students became directors for one night, making the words of some of the world’s most famous playwrights come alive. |