A behind-the-scenes look at Conant Theatre’s first live show this year
Conant Theatre is performing Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on April 16 and 17 as this year’s Spring Play. The show will be live-streamed and tickets will be $2. As Julia Gielczynski, ’21, said, “You can see it virtually too, so there’s really no excuses.” Check out some behind-the-scenes pictures of the cast and crew rehearsing for the show!
"This is my favorite marquee that I've ever done," said Sydney Minch, '21. The marquee is a sign that will be hung outside the auditorium.
This tepee is the favorite prop of many people in the cast and crew. Set Construction Chair Alison Wise, '22, points out that the hardest part of preparing for the play was "being distant, but when not all of them [her crew] are here it’s hard to build bigger things”.
“Everything here is made out of recycled materials, which is a challenge," said Tyler Manzardo, '22. For example, the bottles in this picture will be used as hanging leaves from a tree. This was made possible due to the donations of teachers, staff, students, and people in the community.
“We didn’t go and rent costumes this year, we went around the stuff we already have and repurposed them," said Costumes Chair and Props Master Bethany Hathaway '22. "Me and Teagan (student technical director) went around and had to make a bunch of edits to make them fit for the show. I had to learn how to use a sewing machine”.
Pictured is Ava Coletta, '22, mixing colors to paint wood. She enjoys how this play stands out from previous shows because of the natural colors.
Lights and Sound Chair Adya Verma, ‘21, sets the lights for the scene. “The lights and the colors really set the stage for the show. You don’t realize how much it impacts the show unless it wasn’t there.”
Sydney Olson, ‘22, plays Tom Snout, Peaseblossom, and The Wall. In the play inside the play, The Wall (played by Tom Snout) separates the lovers and is removed when they reunite.
One challenge the cast faced was portraying love while staying socially distanced. Abigail Rummel, '21, explained, “How do we show this romance? How do we show building love? But the lovers aren’t allowed to touch."
Recycling and nature are big themes throughout the play seen through the props and costumes. This water fountain, for example, is made out of paper-mache.
Pictured from left to right are Lily Hirsch, '21, Julia Gielczynski, '21, and Ainhi Phan, '21. Gielczynski said that the crew used to help the cast with their hair, make-up, and mics but the actors have to do that on their own due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Kyla Herr, '21, said the audience should not hesitate watching the play because it is Shakespeare. "They shouldn't be afraid of Shakespeare because we’ve been looking at making sure we understand so that the audience understands."
“It is magical, it’s a much appreciated escape from what we’ve been through in the past year, and it’s just a whimsical time of fun frivolity and a little bit of chaos," said Director Katherine Apperson as the cast and crew pose for a photo.
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