Staples High School's 2019 fall production, "Mamma Mia," will have seven performances in the auditorium. On Nov. 15, 16, 22 and 23 the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. On Nov. 17 and 23 there will be afternoon shows at 3:00 p.m. On Nov 21 the show will begin at 7:00 p.m.
The cast members attend rehearsal almost everyday for many hours perfecting their skills. All members of Players contribute different skill sets to help bring the play to life on the stage.
PURE PASSION:Camille Foisie '22 has a tremendous love for theatre. This is her second year acting in Players and she couldn't be happier. Foisie loves working with her peers and most importantly working as a team. In order to prepare for shows Foisie has some rituals that she finds helpful. "I like to be here really early," Foisie said, "and I do a lot of breathing to make sure that I'm rested, calm and collected."
BEHIND THE SCENES: Justin Dusenbury '20, Derrick Adelkopf '20 and Erin Lynch '20 ran through their scenes in the auditorium. Director David Roth sat in a chair at the front of the stage helping them perfect their lines and making any suggestions he might have to benefit the show. When practicing, they consider prop placement and positioning to make sure that the audience can easily see the action. For example, they changed the placement of a guitar from the floor to leaning against a table so that it's easier to grab and see.
LIVE.LOVE.DANCE: Annabelle Kavetas '20 is the dance captain of Players. She truly enjoys her job and looks forward to rehearsal every day. "I like the amount of dancing it requires because it doesn't feel like a job; it feels fun," Kavetas said. In order to prepare the group for the hours of dance ahead of them, Kavetas leads them in some stretching to get them warmed up. This will loosen everyone up so that they have an easier time with their routines.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: The Players dance ensemble gathers outside of the auditorium for practice. Dance rehearsal is typically from 2:30 p.m. to about 5:30 p.m. The dance ensemble went through routines such as "Voulez-Vous" and worked on their facial expressions, timing and partner work.
MAKING MOVES:The dance ensemble practices outside of the auditorium to review their routines before working with the choreographers. They all work together to perfect their moves and make sure they look as best as they can.
LOVE FOR DANCE: Dance choreographer Rachel MacIsaac Myers enjoys working with kids and dancing her heart out. She taught a private rehearsal with a few students in the black box theatre. "I love working with these guys because they work so hard and I'm able to push them to reach beyond what they thought they were capable of," Myers said. She dances next to them while they perform, and she gives them pointers on how to make it better. She told Ben Zack '21 that being more dramatic when falling to the ground would help show more character.
ENHANCING THEIR DANCING:A few cast members had a private dance rehearsal in the black box theatre. They learned numerous routines and tricks. Ben Zack '21 showed off the new moves that he had just learned. "Dancing makes me really happy," Zack said. "It always makes me feel good about myself."
HARD AT WORK: Senior manager of sets, Evan Siegel '21 is in charge of making sure that all of the set is built properly. He creates various props and pieces. "My favorite part about my job is being creative and figuring out how to solve problems," Siegel said. One of his crew members Oliver D'Anna '22 helped to build a piece by cutting some wood. All of the other crew members worked on stabilizing the prop so that it could be in prime condition for the show.