Several people died theatrically on the nights of October 25–27 as the Drama Department opened its season with Clue: On Stage, a lively and thrilling murder mystery, and Hollow, a somber and intriguing one-act play. However, the cast of Hollow has yet to call their final curtain, and has gone on to compete in the Wisconsin State One Act Festival.
Hollow, based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, follows the story of 15-year-old Alina, who is grappling with her parents’ divorce and her little sister’s struggle with severe asthma. The audience watches Alina’s journey as she gains the courage to confront her father to end their strenuous custody battle. Alina’s tale is told alongside an ensemble retelling of Sleepy Hollow, which utilizes a Greek chorus to show how the two plotlines mirror each other.
Amanda Hull, costume director and prop master, took on a new role this year as director of Hollow, and commented on the dual storylines.
“The ensemble got to study the Greek chorus, and they tell the story of Sleepy Hollow, and then it’s juxtaposed with the story of a young girl in modern day,” Hull said.
The cast of Hollow must have mastered this juxtaposition, as they are on their way to the final level of the State One Act competition.
“[This is] the first time in at least a decade and a half that we’ve done the State One Act Festival,” said Adam Sheaffer, director of the Drama Department. “We’ve competed [at Sectionals], and then we [will] be competing at the State festival right before Thanksgiving.”
This opportunity exposes the actors to a new aspect of theater that regular performances in the Gensler Auditorium can’t offer.
“This has [both] a theater and sports feel because of the competitive aspect to it,” Sheaffer said. “It’s been very cool, and a lot of fun, and something that’s a little bit different from what we’ve done in the past.”
Within the competition, the cast has had to perform with limited time and technology, challenging them to work within requirements.
“We had 40 minutes to put on the show without mics and without a set out there, and it was a level stage instead of having two different areas,” said Nathan Sibila, senior, who played the Headless Horseman and Alina’s father, as well as Colonel Mustard in Clue. “It was hard to adjust to, but it was a really fun challenge.”
Clue, based on the popular board game, follows the story of the familiar characters, elaborating on how they all came to be in a mysterious scenario. It broadens the narrative of the colorful plastic figures that game enthusiasts know and love. The characters are brought together via mysterious invitations to a haunting mansion where it is revealed that they all are under suspicion from the government, as the story takes place during the time of McCarthyism. The audience follows as their dark secrets are revealed whilst a string of murders takes place during their comedic dinner party.
After a quick intermission and set change between the two plays, Sibila returned to the stage to his role as Mustard. Sibila highlighted the unique set of the production.
“It was really fun to see it all come together.” Sibila said. “It was really fun to get on the actual stage because it was [such a] complicated and insane set, [including] sliding pieces and all of that.”
Not only was it an enjoyable experience, but a lot of time and precise preparations were needed to bring the performance together. Hull worked on costumes and props for Clue and shared that, along with sets, costuming was also a unique endeavor.
“For Clue, it was really fun,” Hull said. “It’s [set in the] 1950s, and they were at a dinner party, so you kind of have to think about each character individually and what they would wear, based on their backstory, which they talk about [throughout] the play.”
Sheaffer, who directed this production, commended the actors’ efforts in contributing to the dramatic success.
“I thought it was fantastic … the kids rose to the occasion [considering] comedy is difficult to do,” Sheaffer said. “[They] felt great about it and it sold really well.”
Overall, this dual season opener proved to be a worthwhile and novel challenge for the Drama Department as they worked to make two different plays weave together into one harmonious production.
“[An] unexpected [challenge] was having two productions that are sharing the stage at the same time,” Sheaffer said. “Blending the two into an evening of theater so that they both harmonize, [which] I think [the actors] did pretty well, was [difficult].”
As the Drama Department celebrates the conclusion of their fall plays, they begin preparations for their winter production: Alice by Heart. This musical retelling of Alice in Wonderland, set during WWII, will hit the stage in early February of 2025.
“We’re crazy excited,” Sheaffer said. “We’re using aerial silks again, and also we’re going to be doing some modern dance and contemporary music.”