By Amelie Ruiz, Staff Writer
Photo by Moreaucatholic.org
Every fall semester, the bare stage of Teves Theatre gets transformed with set pieces and actors that fill every inch of it. Months prior to the first performance, these actors of all levels are allowed to stretch and construct their creative ability to mold into a beautiful, tell-all story entertaining many people. This fall, actors take on the play The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens by Billy St. John.
For the past month, the cast of The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens has been rehearsing for the upcoming shows starting on Halloween, fitting the spooky, yet hilarious, production. This play is drastically different from the past productions of the Moreau Theatre Department.
“Every year, we try to find something different for the students who are acting and the student body. It has a different tone, genre, time period, and style of acting. Because last year was so heavy in the darkness, we let the pendulum swing the other way,” said theater arts teacher Patrick Alparone
“People may assume that comedy is easier because it’s fun and because it’s playful. But the characters are so serious, and nothing about their situation is funny,” theater arts teacher Heather Radovich said. “It needs to be rooted in truth, drama, and conflict in order to be successful.”
Correspondingly, Mr. Alparone describes directing this show as a way of “leading the actors to come up with their own discoveries about their characters’ decisions, actions, and feelings.” Mr. Alporone also adds how not only does the show rely on the actors, but also on the audience members.
Through tremendous hard work and commitment, the actors are exploring the world of comedy and how it needs to work with the genre of murder mystery. With elements of exaggerated drama and lots of farce comedy, the audience as well needs to be able to understand, as it is all about the timing.
A typical day in a rehearsal consists of a quick five to ten-minute warm-up, depending on the content of the day, with a quick read-through of the scene as preparation. Along the stage, the rehearsal process starts with taking each part step by step, with actors interpreting the flow of the scene and what their goal is, with assistance from the director, Mr Alparone.
One of the show’s actors, Ivanka Menezes, described her character as “bold, and she knows how to play the game of society.” As rehearsals take lots of time and start two months prior to the show’s opening, Menezes said one of her favorite parts of a rehearsal day is “the warm-ups and the first time reading through the scene beforehand, as they allow us to get prepared for what the character wants, feels, and needs in the scene.”
“Taking a note about the motives and actions” is what Menezes thinks is one of the challenges during rehearsal. These students are working hard and can’t wait to perform their production. With the drama of the play, the comedy comes right alongside it, despite the challenges and decisions that need to be made for the characters. Menezes said, “One of the most important parts is the way we start the rehearsal process, and the way we end it.”
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