| 03/13/2007 |
| CHS' teen actors are in a rite of ... Passage |
| Amanda K. Lowe , Daily Times |
The club will present the new drama "The Passage" later this week. "This production has only been performed once. ... The audience does not know what to expect, which is fun," Wilkinson said. "The Passage" was written by a playwright from New Hampshire, Robert Lawson. "This uniquely crafted reworking of 'Moby Dick' is more a poetic fantasia than literal adaptation of the familiar characters and themes from the classic work," said Myke Wilkinson, drama program director at Coventry High School. "With an array of songs, contemporary humor, and the weaving of various Native American myths, a group of whalers set off on an epic hunt. But once on the water, the obsessed Captain Ahab steers them on an entirely different course. In this tale of blind devotion and sacrifice, where will the new path lead this loyal crew?" |
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"It is coming along amazing," said Betsy Rinaldi, who plays a skeleton and a bar wench in the production. "The hardest part of this production has been getting into the timeframe. It is easy when we have our costumes on, but when it is a bare performance in out regular clothes, it is very hard."
The actors wear costumes styled after clothing of the 1800s. There are no props; everything is mimed by the actors, Wilkinson said.
"The climax of the production is amazing" said Matt Addington, who plays a crew member on the ship. "Everyone is so excited. The acting is amazing, and along with the music and the lighting, it all goes together great."
The music will be performed by a string quartet, which will play contemporary music.
"It's a one-hour long piece and has many different elements," Wilkinson said. "It takes place in the 1840s but the music will be current. I was trying to find something unique and expand myself as an artist. I ordered 50 to 60 scripts before deciding which one I wanted to do, and this seems the different and fun. It is an ensemble piece, so everyone shares the stage equally and plays different parts."
Some students said the ensemble aspect of the production made it challenging for them.
"It was the first ensemble piece I have ever done," said Dennis Sullivan, who plays a bartender and a harpooner on the ship. "We have never done a story line like this before. I'm used to just playing one character; it's really hard to switch back and forth between characters. The storyline is very heavy."
Wilkinson said the storyline combines Greek myths, Native American myths, and biblical stories.
"It combines all these elements with the same theme," Wilkinson said. "It is basically about an adolescent's passage from innocence to awareness. The production is very out there and very symbolic, but it is a lot of fun."
Wilkinson said several of the main characters are played by women.
"The strength of women is also very important in this production," Wilkinson said. "Ahab, the preacher, and many of the sailors are played by women. It is a vital part to the story."
Laura Tortolani plays the part of Ahab. This is the sixth show she has performed in.
"Being a guy was the most difficult part of this production for me," Tortolani said. "It is the first major speaking role I have had in a production so it is very exciting to me."
Andrew Coit plays Ishmael in the play. and he said the fact that Ahab is played by a girl was helpful to him.
"My favorite part of the production is that Ahab is played by Laura," Coit said. "Laura is a good friend of mine - a friend I can trust more than anyone. Ishmael grows an intense love for Ahab in the story so it was easy for me to portray this because I love Laura more than anyone. My final monologue was the hardest part for me because I have to show a bounty of emotions and I am supposed to be feeling many different things."
The Coventry Drama Club held a dress rehearsal last night and will hold its final rehearsal tonight.
"There is so much going on both on and offstage," said Brian Moran, who plays Queequeg. "It really is a great production; I'm excited about all our performances."
There will be performances at Coventry High School on March 14, 15, and 16 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Admission is $5.