By Audrey Lutz
Just before the final performance of Into The Woods, before warm-ups, the cast and crew take part in a moving tradition, where juniors read personal letters to the seniors. At the same time, underclassmen sit out in the audience.
Tears fall from our eyes as we all say goodbye to the beloved seniors, showering them with gratitude for how they have inspired us and led us. After the final letter, everyone walks onto the stage to hug all the seniors.
Then it is time to get ready. Actors finish crying so they don’t ruin their makeup and head to the dressing room.
“Five Minutes till open house!” says a stage manager (ok, it’s me).
“Thank you five.” all the actors reply.
Three hours later, after the giant falls, the princess dies, and the baker finally receives a child, junior Margaret French sings “I wish,” the show’s final line and central theme.
Bows and claps fill the room and the curtain lowers to the ground.
With the final show finished, tears find their way back to the faces of the cast and crew. After hugging and congratulating each other backstage everyone makes their way to the lobby to be greeted by friends and family.
Then the whole cast and crew make their way to the big staircase to take a photo. A million cameras flash and everyone is looking in different directions, like stars on a red carpet
After all the chaos, everyone starts to clean up, put their costumes away, and get into their cars.
But the night isn’t over! Everyone heads to Kai Hackney’s house for a cast party where we play games, eat dinner and have a fun night. Mr. Decker, the director of the show, even makes an appearance and cuts the celebratory cake.
After a couple of hours, people start to go to their own houses and head off to sleep. The following Monday comes too quickly.
I spoke with some of the cast and crew to get their final thoughts on the show.
Sophomore Gracie Gaile who played the Giant and Snow White said that while she’s said it’s over she thinks it was one of the best musicals Lovett has produced. “We all worked hard and we did an amazing job,” she said.
For senior Amia Georges who played Cinderella’s stepmother, this was her final musical at Lovett. Her favorite thing about this show was the cast. “We were really close and I think that is what made the show so incredible and what makes it even harder to leave,” she said.
As for the behind-the-scenes folk, senior Aiden Hahn, who was a stage manager, was proud of herself and the whole company. “I think this is the culmination of the countless hours I’ve put into the program, and it’s the smoothest a production has gone on my end,” she said. She celebrated the accomplishments of the whole stage management team in pulling off “a challenging musical almost seamlessly.” She said that all three shows could not have gone better and that cultivating so many friendships has been an added benefit of her time in the Lovett theater.
Perhaps there was no one prouder though than the man who directed this complicated production. Mr. Decker felt that the “work that we did on Into the Woods… raised the bar for what is possible for a group of high school students in the musical theater arena. I truly think this is one of the best shows we’ve ever done here at this school.”
Now, even though the musical is over there is still ONE MORE on the calendar. It is typically much smaller compared to the shows in the fall and winter. The spring plays are held in the black box and are comprised of a much smaller cast.
This year’s play is Harvey. This play is about a man (or woman) who has an imaginary friend, who happens to be a 6-foot bunny. Now, no other characters can see the bunny, since it is, well, imaginary, but as the show progresses you might just see things a little differently.
Auditions for this play were held on February 16 and 17. Mr. Decker and Mr. Freer posted the cast list via email.
Rehearsals for this play will start Monday the 27th! The cast will do a read-through of the entire play to better understand their character and what the play will be like.
Because this play is much smaller, the rehearsal duration won’t be as long as it was for the musical or fall play. The show dates are April 20-22, which might seem far away, but many breaks are happening from now till April. Before we know it, it will be five minutes till open house.
If you see a six-foot rabbit running around, let Mr. Decker or a member of the cast or crew know.
