Park’s theater program recently finished their production of “Emma,” the cast and crew alike said they’re proud of the show they put on despite some difficulties. Along with issues like limited rehearsal space due to construction — which will affect the theater program for the entirety of the school year — there were some issues with casting in this show specifically. However, the crew persevered and said they’re happy with how the show turned out.
Show director Jodi Schifsky said there were many hurdles to jump considering they are in a new space, but it all worked out in the end.
“When we’re in different spaces, we’re like, ‘Oh, we really need this crop for this set piece,’ and we don’t have it,” Schifsky said. “We had to figure out how we’re gonna get it, and it’s a lot of back and forth between spaces, but our cast and crew have been really resilient and they’ve made it work.”
Senior cast member Elena Colacci said the crew chorus played an important role in the production of the show. The show likely wouldn’t have happened without them.
“I’m most proud of the crew chorus. They were incredible when we didn’t even know if we would do Emma for a while because of casting issues,” Colacci said. “They stepped in and they’ve done more than anyone expected them to do this whole time. They are just the coolest people and super impressive.”
Freshman crew member Erin Eichten said she’s happy with how the show came together with everyone’s help.
“I am very proud of the outcome and of everybody,” Eichten said. “We got it all to work without any issues and we pulled it all together.”
According to Colacci, difficulties within the show only brought the cast closer and made them more determined to get through the challenging moments.
“If things aren’t put on in the ideal circumstances, I think that makes it so we grow closer together, and we can still make something really great about it,” Colacci said. “We like to keep positive with each other and see the good points, and just try to work through the rest.”
Schifsky said the show started to pull together when all departments (cast, crew, tech and pit) came together.
“It’s a lot of rehearsing separately, but then we come together and we have all of those components at the same time,” Schifsky said. “I think that’s when the show starts to feel real.”
Eichten said the show has been a really enjoyable and exciting place to be.
“It’s been a very positive experience. I’ve gotten to know everybody really well, build a really nice community and get to learn a lot of new things,” Eichten said.
According to Schifsky, despite the highs and lows of the show, it turned out wonderfully and she said she’s delighted with the outcome.
“I’ve had a lot of fun with the show, a lot of fun with the cast and crew and we’ve had a lot of ups and downs with obstacles in our way,” Schifsky said. “I’m really proud of how we’ve overcome them and really empowered through to put on what I think was a great show.”
