By Babiha Kaur, Staff Writer
River Hill Theatre Arts students are currently putting in tremendous effort to produce the fall play, The Complete History of Theatre (Abridged), to the school, which ranges from the dates of October 21-24, 2021. The play consists of a talented cast of actors and actresses who are hoping to make this event as engaging as possible and therefore lifting up students’ opinions on theatrical production by promoting the fun activities River Hill Theatre Arts has to offer.
“I like the creative space; I like being able to just be who I am and not have to apologize for it. I like that we’re all supportive of each other. It’s just an amazing creative space and I think that being in theatre is something that’s really beneficial,” stated Isabel Marcus, a Junior who is portraying one of the main characters, Sarah Bernhardt, who was a “prolific female actress of the 19th and 20th centuries.” Isabel greatly enjoys playing her character’s role on stage, and she believes that being in this play is “such a fantastic opportunity to engage with the audience.”
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which has deeply affected a multitude of elements of life everywhere, the River Hill Theatre Arts program was unable to produce a play for the 2020-2021 academic year. However, now that the school has opened, the theatre staff has assembled a team consisting of a multitude of students who are preparing to present a new production. This endeavor is a large team effort, and the group has been working very hard to assemble a performance that will be presented to an audience over the span of four days.
The production team includes the cast of actors as well as the backstage crew. The crew is in charge of assembling the props, costumes, and sets. In addition, stage managers run the entire show, keeping everything running smoothly.
All students involved in the play feel like it is a great way to express what River Hill Theatre Arts students are capable of doing. They all greatly appreciate all the work that is being put into the effort that is enabling them to present their abilities to a large audience. However, many have varying points of view on attending rehearsals.
The majority of the cast were required to attend every rehearsal, despite some having smaller roles in the play. When asked how she feels about attending rehearsals, sophomore actress Lucienne Herberholz stated, “They go really long, and I haven’t had a full chance of studying to my liking. I have to attend every single rehearsal despite me only having small parts.” Lucienne had to be present at every rehearsal even though she does not have a major role in the play.
However, Isabel Marcus has a different view. She expresses, “I’m pretty used to having to do a lot of rehearsals; I generally am very busy but I’d say that I have good time management skills, so really it doesn’t impact that much.” Although Isabel has a major role in the production and has spent a lot of time practicing on stage, she greatly enjoys it. Isabel feels that rehearsals are a fun activity.
Jonathan Mackrell is a freshman playing the part of William Shakespeare in the fall play. When asked how he feels about rehearsals, he explained, “It made me unable to attend a lot of interest meetings, so I’m afraid that once the play is over I’ll have nothing to do after school.” Despite the things he missed, he did enjoy being at practices and preparing for the play.
In general, the students involved in the show agree that it’s a very safe environment to show off their personalities. “The cast is really good and they make it really nice,” Lucienne confessed.
In the future, River Hill Theatre Arts will continue to produce more plays and musicals to show off the students’ remarkable abilities. This spring, the staff is already starting to prepare for the spring musical, Matilda, which will hopefully produce the same, if not more, stunning effect on everyone who will take part in it.
The students taking part in the fall play, The Complete History of Theatre (Abridged), are satisfied with their roles and appreciate the immense effort that staff and other students are putting into the show in order to make it happen. By acknowledging their peers’ attempts to portray their characters on stage as well as creating a safe and fun environment, students are feeling a great deal of gratitude towards everyone striving to make the production possible.
“We get to show off why we’re doing what we are doing; we get to show off why we’re spending every day and every hour in rehearsal, prepping and preparing. We get to show off what makes us unique, what makes us special! It’s a very special place to be,” Isabel concluded.