Shorewood’s Drama Department’s first play of the season was the 19th century rendition of Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector. The classic Russian farcical play features a corrupt provincial Russian village that includes comedic misunderstandings and uproarious situations, showcased in the immense talent within the drama department.

The theater director, Adam Sheaffer, shared his strategic thought process behind picking this play to start the season.

“It’s the first production of the year so I want to get as many people involved as possible,” Sheaffer said. “I also haven’t done a comedy since taking the job here and I wanted something fun and silly, but also something that would be challenging… comedy is difficult, it’s hard to be funny.” 

According to Sheaffer, the decision to start off the theatrical calendar with a comedy proved to be successful, in terms of both enjoyment and funding for the drama department.

“I also think it’s a testament to the students and their work… I think everyone enjoyed themselves, regardless of whether they had the most lines or they had a handful of lines and were in these ensemble scenes,” Sheaffer said. “Not that we do it for this reason, but we also made more money on this show than we have in previous fall plays.” 

Andrew Sibila, junior, who played the role of Khlestakov, the alleged government inspector but discovered con artist.

 “It was definitely a lot of work, and it was a little bit stressful, but I was really glad that I got the role,” Sibila said.  “It was really fun.”

Many drama students were quite surprised by the choice, as the original lineup had been switched over the summer. However, the cast ended up enjoying the final decision. 

 “I really liked this play and it was really fun because seeing it all come together was really special,” Sibila said. “I think it was a good choice because [audiences] usually want something more funny, and a few of the last plays we did were too serious and confused many people, so it was nice that this one was easy to follow.” 

Since The Government Inspector ran on the shorter side, it allowed the actors a significantly larger amount of time for preparation. 

“Usually for shows, we tend to feel completely unprepared around two weeks before the show, and then it usually all comes together eventually, but for this one, we were significantly more prepared,” Sibila said. “Three weeks before the show, we almost had it all memorized.”

To the cast, the bond between actors serves as one of the most enjoyable parts of any production.

“It felt like a family, and it was really together and overall a really nice community,” Sibila said.

As role models come and go within the theater community, upperclassmen are expected to step up and lead.

“It’s a bittersweet experience because I want to be the person that people look up to, but I also miss being younger,” Sibila said.

Among the standout performers, Rose Callahan, senior, took on the role as Anna, the mayor’s wife.  

“When I read the play, I was really surprised with everything [Anna] had to do,” Callahan said. “I thought she was a fun role. She had some funny lines and I really liked making the audience laugh.”

The character Anna is present throughout almost the entire production, giving Callahan countless opportunities to exhibit her acting abilities. 

“I really liked the end of the show, when the whole cast was on stage,” Callahan said. “I really liked doing that because I really didn’t get a lot of opportunities to act with the whole cast.”

The cast consists of actors from all four grades, creating a unique dynamic during rehearsals and performances. With The Government Inspector being the first play of the year, Callahan was able to adjust to her new position as a senior leader in the drama department.

“There’s a lot of underclassmen so I was acting with a lot of people I don’t usually work with, and that was new, but it made it more exciting,” Callahan said. “From what I’ve seen, they’ve all really bonded and have this really good friend group and energy.”

Similarly to Sibila, Callahan aspires to be a good leader to underclassmen and aspiring actors.

“I wasn’t used to being the one [that] other people looked up to,” Callahan said. “I was really used to having other people lead but I wanted to try and be a really good role model.”

With upperclassmen successfully taking on responsibility, Sheaffer believes development and growth is imminent.

“The theater is a place of mentorship and people kind of demonstrating, this is how we do things here. This is the level of dedication that it takes.”