Since Sept. 3, members of Wildcat Theatre have been rehearsing for their fall show, meeting after school every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 – 7:30 p.m. Occasionally, they also meet on Friday and Saturday as well to run through the show in its entirety as opening night approaches.
The group will perform “The Play That Goes Wrong,” by Henry Lewis, Johnathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. On opening night, Oct. 25, the show follows a troupe of actors and technicians through a series of mishaps as they try to perform their 1920’s murder mystery plot. Each of the actors on stage plays a character within the show that the troupe is performing, which not only complicates, but adds a whole new layer of complexity to an already action-packed piece.
“”The Play That Goes Wrong” is a unique show because of the special technical elements,” Julius Bob (12), lead Chris, said. Bob is also the Drama Club President. “We have not put up a show of this caliber for as long as I’ve been at Creek, and this stage hasn’t seen a show with so much engagement between the set and the actors,” Bob said.
During the rehearsal process, lead actors spend much of their time on stage, either running through their lines and blocking, or backstage absorbing every detail to keep the show running in a continuum. In “The Play That Goes Wrong” the ensemble, called the polytech crew, also acts as understudies, observing actors either on the front of the stage, also known as the apron, in the audience, or in the wings behind the scenes.
“During rehearsal, I sit on the apron of the stage rehearsing, running lines,” Charley Prior (9), ensemble polytech crew, said. “I mouth my lines while Julius–who plays the actual role–speaks so I can hear the words and hear the cues.”
The technical crew is just as busy as the cast. Between lights, sound, construction, and props, there is hardly time for any member of the department to wait for instruction.
“A lot of rehearsal looks like me running around like a chicken with my head cut off,” Natallia Moreno (11), props department head, said. “But it’s really fun because I get to use this time to be creative and make a part of the show my own.”
The constant movement and energy isn’t felt solely by audience members on show dates, but by the actors and technicians as rehearsals develop as well.
“I love to be in the room, and feel everybody’s energy,” Mia Allen (10), who plays a role named Taylor said. “It’s nice to see everyone running around, having fun, and when everything descends into chaos and screaming, it’s even more fun.”
As with any other art, theatre is made up of many moving parts, so it can be complicated to keep track of every single person’s and props placements and action.
“One challenge I’ve faced is remembering all of my movements,” Charlie Hayden (10), who plays lead role Dennis said. “It’s hard to remember complicated movements and the lines.”
Since rehearsal is a process used to get a perfected performance, sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned. “The Play That Goes Wrong” is a fast-paced and tech-heavy show, so it’s easy to have mishaps in tasks, such as prop placement or which side of the stage actors needs to be on.
“The way I recover from mistakes is by taking a breath, a step back, and try it over again,” Analeesia Guerra (12), stage manager, said. “I know I’ll eventually get it right, I just need to control my thoughts. This show is a work in progress, so there’s still many breaks and pauses trying to get everything right.”
In both setbacks and wins during the rehearsal process, theatre brings students together. With the inviting and accepting environment, the department serves students with a creative outlet, as well as a place to foster meaningful connections.
“I like how we make so many friends in theatre,” Caitlyn Bryan (10), costumes department head, said. “It’s just like one big family because we’re all working together on one big project.”
According to theatre students, they are excitedly anticipating their opening night on Oct. 25, the group is prepared to showcase the passion and dedication of their art to the community as “The Play That Goes Wrong” takes stage. The show runs Oct. 25 through Nov. 2, and details can be found at cctd.ludus.com/.
