by Chloe Kiparsky
The High School Drama Club performed two one-act plays over the weekend of February 25th: “A Marriage Proposal” by Anton Chekhov, and “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell. The process of performing and putting the show together seemed to delight the actors, crew, and audience.
“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is a murder mystery where a man was hanged in his room one night and nobody was there except his wife - Mrs. Wright. The play is set the morning after the murder was discovered when a few men go to the house to investigate. They walk around the house trying to figure out what happened, but the main focus is on the women. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale slowly piece together the murder while putting themselves into Mrs. Wright’s - and each other’s - shoes. The “Trifles” actors were Morgan Clark, Ina Dow, Nate Kissingford, Bee Boykin, and Chloe Kiparsky.
“A Marriage Proposal” by Anton Chekhov is much more lighthearted. A man goes to his neighbor’s house to propose to his daughter. Everything seems to be going well, until they start fighting. They cannot seem to agree on anything, and the proposal spirals into a disaster. It involves heart palpitations, water throwing, collapsing on the floor, and lots of screaming. It is a delightful play to perform and watch. The “Marriage Proposal” actors were Chloe Kiparsky, Mariana Dos Santos, and Bee Boykin.
The amazing crew was Pallen McArdle (stage manager), Nate Kissingford (set design), Mr. Kissingford (director), and Ms. James (set construction).
The team rehearsed three days a week or more for about a month. The main focus of the rehearsals after learning the staging was character work. The actors spent many hours thinking about motives and how to be the character, not play the character. Junior Pallen McArdle, who was the stage manager, “saw the beginning to end process. I feel like I noticed the GIANT progress the actors made, like more than the actors themselves,” she said.
Of course, it’s hard to tell when one is improving at something, but with the enormous commitment to the show, the actors definitely noticed their own growth. Senior Ina Dow, who played Mrs. Peters in Trifles said that a trick she used to become her character was that she “had to really try to imagine those experiences and the feelings they would cause,” she said. “I do also personally understand some of them, like the loss of a pet.”
It was not just the crew that noticed. There was also positive talk from audience and community members about the show. Sophomore Lily Feeser saw it twice, and enjoyed it both times. “I think everyone did a really good job,” she remarked.
Strong community is formed while working on a play with other people. The small cast and emotional plays created - and strengthened - bonds among the actors. Senior Bee Boykin, who played Tschubukov in A Marriage Proposal and Sheriff Peters in Trifles, noted that “the thing about being in a play is that the cast and all the people that I was in those two one-act plays with I just love with my whole heart.” They went on to say that it was most definitely an effect of the show that they felt more connected to the other actors than they had before.
Now that the play is over, the people involved have very mixed feelings. Ina will “miss it,” but she is “also happy to have more time after school to focus on other things.” Bee is very sad that the play is over. “I do feel lost without the play,” they said.
Being in a play is a completely unique experience. The play pushed the actors “past [their] comfort zones,” according to Ina, but it was well worth it for the amazing experience and result.