For the first time in years, Newington High School will be having a Senior One Act for the class of 2023. The Senior One Act is a one-act play directed by seniors. The directors for this show are students Brooke Hendon and Eli Johnson. If you watched this year's musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, you may recognize Brooke as the Drowsy Chaperone from the gold cast and Eli as Robert Martin in the blue cast. The play for this year is How to Overthrow Your Student Government in Seven Easy Steps by Ian McWethy. The story follows freshman Jen Blecher, upset over her tremendous loss in the school council election. Her spontaneous hatred of democracy summons Julius Caesar from beyond the grave, and he leads her down a path of dictatorship. The show is absurd, yet charming. It even contains a jukebox-esque musical number in which the lyrics of a preexisting song have been reimagined to fit the plot.
The cast and crew feature a variety of talented students from all grade levels. This will be the last production of the 2022-2023 school year, meaning it is the last high school production our senior actors and Stage Crew will be a part of. To gain more insight into being a senior in the One Act, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing seniors Kolin Stegmaier and Elsa Raymond. You may recognize Kolin as Man in Chair from the blue cast of The Drowsy Chaperone. For the Senior One Act, Kolin is playing Julius Caesar, Jen’s ghostly guide to the facets of dictatorship. Here is what Kolin had to say:
Q: When did you start doing theater, and what made you want to join?
A: I joined this year for high school but did theater my entire time in middle school. What made me want to join was my love for watching other performances.
Q: What made you want to audition for this show?
A: My friends and my pasts experiences with other productions.
Q: What do you think of the theater community here at NHS?
A: I love the theater community. It is very different from other sport and club communities. Everyone gets along so well, and it’s like another family. There’s lots of laughter, and everyone blends together well.
Q: What is your favorite part of this show?
A: My favorite part is doing [the show] with my friends.
Q: How does it feel for this to be your last show?
A: It is bitter sweet. It is a great way to go out. I’ll miss it, but I’m happy that the one act is my last show because it is completely run by the students, and we get to see our full potential with both acting and directing.
Next to be interviewed was Elsa Raymond, an experienced actor and essential member of the Stage Crew. You may recognize her as the Ghost of Christmas Present from our school’s winter production of A Christmas Carol. She was props master for The Drowsy Chaperone and is now the stage manager of How to Overthrow Your Student Body Government In Seven Easy Steps.
Q: What do you think of the job you have for this show? How does the responsibility feel?
A: This job is very fulfilling. I am able to help all aspects of the show and hold everything together. I have the responsibility of bringing together the tech elements, as well as the acting aspect. I need to make sure that everyone is informed of what is going on, taking notes, and trying to keep everything together in the moment. This responsibility is very important and is a crucial aspect to any show.
Q: When did you start doing theater, and what made you want to join?
A: I started doing theater in 8th grade, mostly acting. And then sophomore year I started working in Stage Crew. I can see the drama world from both sides, and I can help in both worlds. I am able to both perform and help put the show together. I have just always had an affinity for acting and drama in general.
Q: What do you think of the theater community here at NHS?
A: It is a very tight-knit community, where you can trust everyone around you. All of the people I have worked with are excellent in what they do, and everyone works together to make something beautiful every time.
Q: What is your favorite part of this show?
A: I love how there is a real lesson within the comedy that is being used to present it. It is enjoyable to watch, and fun to be a part of.
Q: How does it feel for this to be your last show?
A: Absolutely heartbreaking that I will be leaving the NHS drama department, but I am so proud of everything that this department has been able to accomplish. I am very lucky to have this be my last show and to have been able to meet all of the people that I have.
Q: Anything else you would like to say?
A: I have loved my time with this department and with all of these wonderful people I have had the privilege to work with! I have had experiences here that I will never forget.
Kolin and Elsa both placed an emphasis on the people they worked with during their time in theater. Not only was being part of shows extraordinarily fulfilling, but being able to spend time with fellow cast members and stagehands is something they’ll always remember. As a member of the Stage Crew for this show, I have witnessed firsthand just how hard every member of this production is working. Especially the directors, Brooke and Eli, who have spent hours each day at rehearsals perfecting their show by teaching their actors their lines, choreography, songs, and more. They’ve worked so hard to put this show together, and they deserve all of the praise in the world! How to Overthrow Your Student Body Government opens at 7 pm on May 18th, and it’s a show you won’t want to miss! Come see our seniors take the stage one last time.