Compass Theatre Acting Company Takes to the Stage in Fall Production

by Kanami Okabe, Editor-in-Chief

Students and families flooded into the Performing Arts Center on November 14th and 16th to watch the Compass Theater Acting Company’s fall play, the Agatha Christie murder mystery And Then There Were None. Directed by theater teacher John Hadley, the play featured seniors Isabella Insingo, Sevan Evans, Mira McQuown, Anna Knall, Aison Oakley, and Theresa Huynh; juniors Jacob Bradehorst, Santana Mosher, Nate Dias, and Marlo Taylor; and sophomore Joelle Fields.

The play centered around ten guests staying in an isolated vacation home who begin to suspect each other when members of their party turn up murdered, one by one. As the number of characters on stage dwindled, the tension in the auditorium became palpable. In fact, And Then There Were None is a play that can be defined by its tension, with its masterful portrayal of the characters’ rising terror and paranoia. Over the course of the performance, characters swung between normalcy and unhinged violence; in particular, one moment between the stoic General Macarthur (Aison Oakley) and Vera Claythorne (Isabella Insingo) brought the audience to the edges of their seats.  “My character was completely different than any character I’ve ever played,” Aison said, describing the General as “delusional.” He added: “I loved playing him.”

Aleesha Patel, who took on the role of senior AD for the first time this year, said, “Being assistant director is one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.” She emphasized the importance of the bonds between cast and crew, describing how actors, directors, and tech came together to create something wonderful. In particular, she highlighted the roles of ADs (Viviana Aguilar and Kylie Zavitka) and techs (Jess Lagos, Joel Dodson, Aiden Egresits, Ryln Hadley, and Nirvana Haro), saying, “They truly make the show.”

Next, the Compass Theatre Acting Company will begin work on their spring play, All My Sons by Arthur Miller. “This play will be one of the strongest plays we’ve performed,” said Anna Knall, describing All My Sons as a classic. Aleesha added, “It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m confident we can do it.”