Every fall, SHC’s theater department performs a high-quality play with the help of various faculty members such as Mr. Morris and Mr. Mahoney, and the tech crew. This year, SHC showcased the famous play by Arthur Miller, The Crucible, a 1953 play about the Salem Witch Trials.

This year’s fall play was described by both parents and students as engaging and one of the best performances the theater department has produced. The Crucible had the entire audience on the edge of their seats. They were captivated by the play’s accurate intensity, thanks to the many actors and actresses (check out the incredible cast here). In addition to the talented cast, the show could not have been possible without the amazing help of the theater tech crew. Part of what made The Crucible so compelling for the audience was the intricate, well-designed sets with dynamic gears in the background. As said by director Maura Kretzer, directing this play was much more difficult than Arsenic and Old Lace from last year, as it was since this play was much more serious, she “had to work harder than before to create scenes both meaningful and unique”. But despite these challenges,  “The brilliant work from the actors guided my [Maura’s] blocking, and our modern interpretation of The Crucible fully changed the way a word was said or the way a scene progressed.”

This semester, drama club prepared Xanadu, a musical written in the 80s about the Greek gods in the mortal world. Unfortunately, because of the outbreak of COVID-19 and cancellation of schools, the cast and crew were only able to perform once for immediate family members. This was disheartening for everyone part of the play, but especially for the class of 2020. 

In an interview with senior Isabel DeGrandi, the president of Drama Club and a dedicated four-year member of the theater program, she noted that the show being canceled was very upsetting, disappointing and stressful. However, having to at least had one performance, Isabel reflected that her favorite part about Xanadu was “the sense of camaraderie I found with everyone: the show has a lot of lights and movement and sounds, so we all definitely felt that we might not have been able to pull it off. We eventually did though, and we were all able to feel that joy together.”

This show, like many other activities at SHC (spring sports, chorus, etc) did not receive the recognition and ending it deserved due to the unfortunate circumstances of coronavirus. Everyone stuck indoors feels the same sense of disappointment, fear, and seriousness of the current situation. For members of the class of 2020, including both high schoolers and college students, it feels especially disheartening to be missing out on things like senior privileges, prom, graduation, and simply just spending time with friends and classmates before venturing off into the unknown. However, as lousy as it is, it’s important to remember everyone is dealing with the same feelings, and considering today’s technology and the fact that this will not be forever, seniors can still do their best to make the most of their last year.

Check out the full Xanadu performance here!