The Fall Play

By Jessica Capriglione

Behind Big Red

The work that goes into putting a show together here at Pinelands is astronomical, and Clue has been no different. The wheels behind our drama department’s never disappointing shows have been spinning extra hard this year to put on the perfect show, something they never fail to do. For the next few minutes, please join me both behind the lights and backstage to see everything that goes into making the Pinelands production of Clue.

Our entire stage crew treats each and every show like it's their own child. You would never believe the amount of blood, sweat, and dedication pouring out of every single member. When asked why they do it and what makes it worth it, Aaron Difrancia says, “The adrenaline rush right before the curtain opens, the feeling is unmatched.” Bre’anna Scapati agrees, saying “I do it for that rush of adrenaline”. Every moment leading up to that pure rush of excitement when the curtains first open, is what makes it so special and makes the entire show unique.

During our interview with Aaron, the stage manager, he walked me through the “shopping list” of success the crew uses after finding out every show. They start with reading and rereading their scripts so that every line is ingrained in their memory because it is very important that the crew knows the entire show. The next step is organizing the first official stage crew meeting; Aaron and Bre’anna, the other stage manager, meet with everyone involved to work out schedules as well as recruit new members. At the first meeting, they create the list for EVERYTHING they need to do from that exact moment, all the way up to the minute the curtain opens on the first night. The last we spoke, they were in the midst of cleaning up this list and beginning all of the hands-on tasks they had planned out.

With the first announcement of the show over the summer began the preparation process for our shining stars, the drama department. From the minute they find out the show, each and every cast member transforms into a fluid state of characters, preparing for who they would be best to play. From there they quickly pick what role they want to audition for. The cast works with a rigid schedule to try and get everything done before opening night. They start with auditions, followed by callbacks, then cast announcements, where they find out their roles and begin learning lines. They spend hours at rehearsals every week to not only learn their lines, but learn how their character moves, acts and lives.

Andrew Watson, a member of Clue’s cast, says that his favorite part about acting is learning how to react and think like his character. During our interview, he told me that Clue is different from other shows because of how unique and grand every character of the main ensemble is. Right now, their biggest goal in rehearsals and at home is learning what makes their characters so special. According to many cast members that is one of the most important steps they are taking right now. If you ask me, their dedication and desire to get to know their characters as if they’re real people is what makes the department so special.

According to Mackenzie Stephenson, Clue is so different from past shows because “It’s a full ensemble show, where no matter what your part is, everyone contributes to the story.” Stephenson spoke about how Clue is more interactive and has the audience guessing the entire time, this comes with more separate training itself. The cast has to learn exact timing with lines to keep the comedic factor, and the leads also have to work up an endurance because this show is very ensemble heavy, every lead character has to be on stage almost the entire time.

The months of hard work and dedication by all of the students in both the cast and stage crew are all worth it to them the minute that curtain opens. Everybody agrees that the adrenaline rush is the show itself, something the audience plays a big role in. The minute the seats are filled, a show comes to life, and the real world is forgotten for a little while. So come join us later this season to see the product of everybody’s hard work, love, and commitment to the arts.