School Play to Return with ‘High School Musical’
The English department team guiding the spring play: Ms. Talavera, Ms. Manzi, Mr. Boyd, and Ms. Bernstein. Photo: Jamee Rudsky
By ANNA BUKHMAN, JINYU XU, SHAYNA GOLUBEV, and JAMEE RUDSKY
The school play is back and set to premiere in April after a three year hiatus due to pandemic precautions. On November 16, students ranging from freshmen to seniors gathered in room A346 to audition for roles in the upcoming production of High School Musical, based on the 2006 film.
The musical centers around the life of teenagers Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez as they navigate through friendship, relationship, and the ups and downs of high school, while being bonded by one common thing: the high school musical theater experience.
“We felt that it would be a good comeback show after a few years of having no musicals,” said Ms. Alina Bernstein, one of the leaders of the production. “It’s very relatable to students as well as the teachers running it.”
The theater class will be back in action this spring, and the play will be led by English teachers Ms. Bernstein, Mr. Conrad Boyd, Ms. Melissa Manzi, and Ms. Samantha Talavera.
Ms. Elizabeth Bommarito, the previous production director, is no longer with Midwood, but she is still helping from the sidelines.
“Her passing the torch to us is exciting, and we’re really looking forward to transforming the department and making it the best it could possibly be,” said Ms. Talavara.
“She’s been helping us a little: throwing us tips here and there, and I do wish she was here to show us her magic and how she used to run the shows,” said Ms. Bernstein. “It is a little difficult without her experience and wisdom, but we are doing our best to live up to the expectations that Midwood used to have with shows.”
Figuring out simple questions such as “Are we going to use a soundtrack or a band?” and “Are we going to make the set?” have been challenging, said Ms. Manzi. Going three years without a production, it's expected to face some complications coming back.
Ms. Bernstein is drawing inspiration from her own experiences in high school, as has been a longtime “theater kid.”
“I’ve done theater my entire life,” she said. “[The musical I was in] was a very niche show, it’s called Chamber Music, and I played Amelia Earhart in it. I loved the monologue I had.”
Students auditioning for leading roles in High School Musical had to pick a monologue, too, and act it out. Those auditioning for dance performed a chosen routine.
“Watching kids on both levels from being a drama teacher to seeing theater productions, I was just amazed at the amount of talent in this school,” said Mr. Boyd.
“Some students who auditioned already knew the dance moves,” said Ms. Manzi. “The commitment shown was phenomenal.”
These auditions also presented an opportunity to bring students closer together after a few odd years of masking, distancing, and solitude.
“I’m so excited about the people,” senior Kate Sum said. “I met people in the audition room and most of them were my friends. We didn’t decide on auditioning together; we just ended up in the same place at the same time.”
“[After] being remote, I think now more than ever students need that space to connect with others, express themselves, and really experience the bond that forms from being in production,” said Ms. Talavera.
The play has so far finished conducting auditions and casting will be announced after the roster for the spring’s theater production class is filled. Main roles will mostly go to upperclassmen, as they are given preference for the limited setions of the mandatory theater class. Interested underclassmen can be a part of stage crew or wait until their junior or senior years to re-audition for main acting roles.
Even those who were not initially interested in acting were drawn in by the energy in the room.
“Originally, I wanted to do art, but after seeing how much fun everyone had, I felt left out,” said senior Jacklyn Gendler, who ended up auditioning for an acting role.
“The people who were alongside me had great energy surrounding them and weren’t afraid to clap for anyone after their audition,” Sebastian Senior ‘23 said. “It created a very welcoming environment where we all felt comfortable with each other and were able to do really well.”
With the spring play being the last school production for seniors, there’s a lot at stake for a successful and memorable musical production. But theater is not just about what others see.
“Joining school plays is one of the best ways to break out of your shell, to socialize with students you may have never encountered otherwise, and to build really strong relationships with teachers and other administrators,” Ms. Bernstein said. “It’s a great way to get your name out, and it’s also nice to be part of a community of people who have similar interests.”
When the spring production premiers in mid-April, the cast will be singing their way through the last months of their high school journey, just like in the movies.