Jason Lee - Staff Writer
With the season of spring comes a brand new musical comedy to Marriotts Ridge Stage, “The Addams Family.” The members of the MRHS Theatre Department have worked very hard in their respective roles to bring the tale of a bizarre household and a strained romance to the stage. (Due to the temporary school closure caused by the Coronavirus outbreak in Maryland, the Spring Play has been postponed.)
Junior Perna Polepally, student director of the MRHS Theatre Department, holds a myriad of responsibilities in supporting and coordinating the production. She explained, “I kind of do whatever you see on stage. That entails helping actors with their lines to perfect their acting. I help with basically giving notes after run-throughs to help them improve their performance.” Though Perna plays a major role in helping refine the actor’s performances, her main area of expertise is helping the disparate sections of the Department come together to form a cohesive production. “I help coordinate with stage managers and figure out what transitions are needed. I coordinate with all of the tech crew, light,sound, props, backstage (which tends to be stage managers), to figure out what I want when I want it. I work in collaboration with Mr. Beale (because he is the Director) and our choreographer AJ, who works at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and Mr Rawlings. ”
Somewhat more specialized however, are the roles of the actors, who must carefully prepare everything about their character, from lines to mannerisms.
Junior Dylan Buchwald, who will play Gomez Addams in the upcoming play, explained as much: “To prepare for the role I practiced the script a lot and practiced a Spanish accent. I still need to clean up my dances I have to do. The hardest challenge I faced in this production was learning all of the lines and songs.”
Although not as prominent as the actors, the supporting roles must not be overlooked either, given that they are responsible for everything from helping actors learn lines and dances to managing the various technical aspects of the production.
One such role is taken by Junior Grace Shope, who stated, “I’m the stage manager for the production and I help organize rehearsals, run them and call all the cues for the technical aspects of the show.” She explained that these include “sound, lighting, movements of the set, and props going on the stage.” In addition to organizing such cues, Grace also takes a more active role in shaping the look and feel of the production. “I helped design the set, I helped choose the different lighting cues and make sure everything looks smooth and consistent.”
Despite the many responsibilities that the members of the MRHS Theatre Department must perform, their roles come with some very substantial benefits.
“I really don't have anything to complain about for theatre- it's always a fun environment. I feel like I have gained so many valuable things from theatre, such as confidence on a stage, a love for music, and a greater respect for all the hard work that goes into a production. “ said Dylan Buchwald. He went on to emphasize that “What I enjoy most about theatre is the feeling of family the cast has.”
Even though the performance has been postponed, students will be ready to showcase their hard work once Howard County schools reopen.