In Room 414, Anything Goes Amid new restrictions, thespians stage annual musical Kendall Conboy Staff Writer
and design. The Thespians had a tough act to follow after last Shelby Shuster (12) has been a Thespian involved year’s production of Cabaret, which left members of in the theatre department since her freshman year, the audience in tears and in awe of the play’s powerful but as a senior she decided to take a role off stage as message of unity through diversity. This year, the cast, the student director of the musical, working alongside crew, and pit have all worked to put on a production like Mrs. Winingham. As the student director, she takes on no other. different responsibilities The production of of directing and blocking Anything Goes was difficult scenes, taking notes for multiple reasons, during rehearsals and including quarantine constructively critiquing the regulations, actors playing cast and crew. multiple roles, rehearsals “One of the coolest being limited to Zoom things about this year is meetings for the first half that our theme for Anything of the production process, Goes is a celebration along with stage blocking of theatre and a fun and choreography lighthearted approach to the adjustments being made show” Shuster said. to accommodate for social Arguably one of the distancing requirements. most impressive aspects But despite those of the musical is the obstacles, for the cast, pit orchestra. The pit is crew, and pit, the show composed of music students must go on. all across LHS who come Anything Goes is a together to perform a live lighthearted, upbeat show accompaniment for the that tells the heartfelt love actors on stage. story of lost businessman The show’s logo, designed by Mary Plass (12) has played the bass Billy Crocker and debutante Hope Shelby Shuster (12) in the pit since the performance of Harcourt. The duo are trapped Legally Blonde her sophomore year. on a cruise boat headed from New “We get our music around late November, around York to England with powerful showgirl Reno Sweeney the same time that the actors audition. We practice amid the humorous antics of gangster public enemy separately from the cast throughout December, then number one, Moonface Martin. start to rehearse with the cast in January,” Plass said. “I In a year like no other, the musical for many like being in the pit because the music is always fun and students has been an outlet where students can express it’s fun to get to collaborate with the cast.” themselves and pour themselves into their characters. How the audience viewed the show also changed The director of the show, Jessica Winingham (Drama this year. Social distancing regulations required the Department), selected Anything Goes as a relief from the world people have been living in for the past year: a year production to be live streamed, although there were a limited number of predetermined audience members of Covid-19 and uncertainty. allowed to watch from the auditorium. Those who viewed “...I just wanted a show that was silly and meaningless and fun... Cabaret last year was really intense the show online still had to purchase tickets for the livestream. for a reason, and I was not going to do that this year,” Winingham said. Because the show is jazzy and upbeat, students News have the flexibility to add to their characters and creativity when it comes to acting, costuming, lighting,
March
7
