After their final performance for friends and family on Jan. 21, Parks theater program started their rehearsal for their sub-section one-act performance, with a set of vignettes from the show “A Trip to the Moon.” Each school in their conference has to prepare a 35 minute performance with 10 minutes prior to set up their props and set. This task is meant to be a challenge because actors have to perform their best work in this limited time. Alongside this, the crew has to manage all set props while the performance is swiftly moving forth.
The conference performance is a two day process starting on Jan. 24 and continuing through Jan. 25. Lead director Jodi Schifsky said they are performing after six other schools.
“There are six schools performing tonight and then five schools performing tomorrow,” Schifsky said. “We actually have subsections first tomorrow at 4 pm.”
The cast and crew has had to navigate more than usual as Park High School is undergoing construction. Sophomore Bailey Schneeberg said one-act preparation has been a challenge and creates more difficulties in the process of creating this show in a limited time.
“The biggest problem (the cast has) run into so far is since the high school is under construction, we’ve had to move our rehearsals to Central Community Center,” Schneeberg said. “That means we have to transport all of our sets and we have to come to Central every day for rehearsal and it just adds an extra step in the process.”
Junior Karen Dworsky said all cast members are doing an amazing job at helping out and putting together the best show possible in the small space.
“We’re doing an awesome job (at putting the show together),” Dworsky said. “Everybody’s helping out equally and we’re all working together in the limited space.”
Despite the challenges the cast has been through, they are able to stick together because of the style of show they have produced. Schifsky said with many scenes being cut due to the time constraint, all actors are able to stay on the show.
“For this show, it was a little easier for us to piece together because it’s vignettes, so they were short scenes that we could pick and choose. I specifically chose scenes that I thought flowed together and had a clear beginning and end,” Schifsky said. “This (style of show) allows us to pick individual scenes and luckily it worked out where we could have all of our actors featured.”
Dworsky said she is looking forward to bonding with her castmates and seeing what other schools have been working on.
“It’s going to be a fun bonding experience, and it’s going to be fun watching other schools perform,” Dworsky said.
According to Schneeberg, not only is being with her castmates exciting, but also bringing their show to the stage.
“I’m most excited to be performing in front of other schools, and to get to see their shows and their talent,” Schneeberg said.
Schifsky said she is very excited to see the actors bring the show alive and see the cast’s best work at the subsections. According to her, subsections are an opportunity for actors and technicians to learn new things.
“I want to see what they can bring to the stage now that we’ve had a few extra days of practice,” Schifsky said. “It’s also a great opportunity for us to watch other schools and get that education piece of it and observe everything.”
Park’s theater program is off to perform at their subsections at 4 p.m. on Jan. 25 at the Richfield High School.
