Photos by Lauren Kee, Tiffany Xiao, and Linda Phan/The Choate News
During a normal school year, mention of the spring musical would conjure up images of stu- dents singing, acting, and dancing in the PMAC with intricate sets and bright lights. However, this year, the production has faced challeng- es due to Covid-19 guidelines. Still, the cast and crew of the upcoming spring musical have found new ways to deliver their performances while recognizing the restrictions. The biggest change is that the mu- sical will be performed on an out- door stage built behind the PMAC.
The selection of the next spring musical was not an easy task. “We had to think about physical dis- tancing plus putting masks on, and the challenge of avoiding hu- man contact. But also, the rights to many of the shows we considered were unavailable for streaming to parents and those abroad,” said Ms. Deighna DeRiu, the director of the spring musical.
Urinetown, the chosen piece, is a satirical comedy that examines themes such as capitalism, greed, and corruption. The plot follows a society in which water consump- tion is controlled due to drought, and people must pay to use public
restrooms to urinate. After seeing his father get arrested, the main character, Bobby Strong, played by Will Flamm ’21 and Ho Jin Jang ’21 (the production will employ two, rotating casts), starts a revolution to allow people to urinate for free.
In accordance with rules sur- rounding physical distancing, Urinetown was double cast. This means that there are two casts, nicknamed Blue and Gold, who perform on alternating nights. By double-casting the show, social dis- tancing was made easier and more students were able to participate in the musical. However, actors who are in both casts oftentimes have to take on two different roles: they could be dancing as the main lead in one cast and in an ensemble in the other, thereby requiring them to remember two sets of blocking and dance numbers.
With the addition of double casting and social distancing, the blocking of the musical became an even more essential aspect. “We are also, of course, making sure people are six feet apart,” said Lara Stone ’22, the stage manager of Urine- town. “We’re sort of taking creative liberties with stage directions and find ways around physical contact, but we still get across the same
message and insert some comedy.” With the importance of main- taining physicality between char- acters, physical distancing has changed how the actors interact with each other on stage. Al- though their physical movements have been restricted, the per- formers have found ways to con- nect with one another and pro- duce entertaining performances. Sabrina Carlier ’21, who plays the role of Penelope Pennywise, finds that, even from a distance, the cast has grown close, allowing for chemistry on stage.
“We’ve done many bonding ac-tivities and warm-ups that have al- lowed us to get to know each other and stay connected,” she said. “The more people are able to connect during those moments before and during rehearsal, the more you can have fun on stage. We have actual- ly also included some jokes about keeping our distance, so we play into these restrictions.”
Opening on May 14, the cast is ready to bring their usual stellar performance regardless of Covid-19 limitations.
