On November 15, 16, and 17, the stage opened for Peter and the Starcatcher, the 2017 fall drama. Tickets were sold out on Friday, and, unsurprisingly, everyone enjoyed the play. But what went on behind the curtains? A few freshmen and seniors shared their experiences. So without further ado, sit back, relax, and enjoy the closer look at theatre life.
Senior Nicole Giordano shares with us a few thoughts from her very last play here at MLHS:
“I have been in every show that’s happened during my time—four dramas, three musicals, and three performances at Bucks County Theatre Festival.”
An avid Shakespeare fan, Nicole names her favorite as A Midsummer Night’s Dream where she played protagonist Helena in Midsummer. Besides her passion for Shakespeare, Nicole also loved Peter and the Starcatcher: “It’s such a beautiful story about navigating the highs and lows of adolescence, and finding who you are,” she says. “It has so many poignant moments, but it’s also totally hysterical. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to have played Molly, and for getting to work with such an amazing group of people.”
As a freshman in high school, Nicole was eager to get involved. “For years I had gone to see the shows at MLHS, and I couldn’t wait to finally be in them!”
When Nicole is on stage, she describes the feeling as “free.” “I think there’s a magic in getting to stand in front of an audience as another person and telling their story,” she says. “Acting is extremely rewarding for me because it forces people to think beyond themselves.”
When asked if she has any advice for freshmen considering to join the theatre program, Nicole says:
“Do it. I promise you won’t regret it…No matter who you are, or what grade you’re in, you are always welcome in the theatre department. Everyone looks out for each other, and is genuinely supportive of their cast-mates during the good and bad.” Nicole also points out that if acting is not your forte, there’s stage crew, marketing, pit band, and many other ways to be involved with the theater productions.
Freshman Sofia Giustozzi says, “[The play] was amazing and hilarious. So much has happened in the past few weeks.”
Agreeing with Nicole, Sofia describes the funniest moment during rehearsals as when “a certain person fell in a stack of chairs.” Sofia also adds a second moment: “When we were practicing the ending scene, a line was said VERY WRONG, and the whole cast, even the director, stopped and laughed for a good minute.”
Sofia also found staying until 10PM very difficult during tech week, but she is definitely considering doing the play and the musical again.
Freshman Josh Caso also shares some insider thoughts on the first auditions for the play: “I felt very nervous. I helped and supported my freshmen friends during auditions.”
Josh says he would absolutely want to participate in the play and/or musical again, adding that “All [his] friends want [him] to continue this drama-like journey.”
The most challenging part for Josh was staying until 5 or 10PM, but when performing on stage, Josh says, “I feel like I’m finally out of the dark. I feel alive, I’ll put it like that.” Josh loves to act and has been acting since second grade. He also enjoys working with the director, Ms. Penny, and he enjoys spending time with the friends he has made during the play.
Senior Olivia Reinebach has also been in previous plays.
She debuted in The Sparrow, later starring in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Drood. But, similar to Nicole, Olivia named Peter and the Starcatcher as her absolute favorite. “It was fun and childish, and it didn’t feel like any fall drama I’ve ever done—every show was like riding a different roller coaster each time. It was surreal. I loved it,” says Olivia.
When asked what she would miss most, Olivia responded, “I’m gonna miss the long practices, the snickers backstage, and the bond the cast had this year. I’m proud to have been a part of such an incredible group.”
She further says that acting gives her confidence and the chance to become a new person. “It’s a chance to step out of my comfort zone, and what better place than to do it onstage with your friends?” Like many others, Olivia says she feels free when she’s onstage: “It allows me to let go of my mind and just live in the moment,” she says, “whatever that may be. Theatre is a big part of who I am today.”
In regards to balancing theater with other activities, Olivia shares with us that theatre is as time-consuming as many other after school activities, if not more. “It’s long hours and a lot of dedication. Pretty soon, your life begins to revolve around it, and it’s all you can think about.” Though Olivia tries to keep up with her schoolwork at first, it’s often a challenge, especially as the show draws nearer. When asked to share her advice for time management, Olivia offers: “I use my off periods wisely, either to catch up on homework, or to take a breather and eat something.”
More advice Olivia leaves with underclassmen: “Don’t be afraid to try something new—this is true of every club, activity, and sport, not just in theatre…[but] I can tell you personally that there’s a special bond between theatre kids. It doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman who’s done theatre since the fifth grade, or if you’re a senior and you’ve never acted before–everyone comes together, and it really is a good time.”
Senior Dorian Dehart will miss the connections made in the plays, and fun times with friends he has made. “It was truly a journey,” he says wistfully.
Dorian has also been part of the performances for the last two years, and like most of the seniors interviewed, Peter and the Starcatcher was his absolute favorite. Although he felt nervous on stage, Dorian says, “I use that nervousness to drive my on stage acting. It’s just like a rollercoaster, you’re all nervous in the beginning, but once you come off, you’ll want to do it more!”
Dorian gives his own tip for time management: “Do not attempt burning the candle at both ends unless you’re mentally and physically prepared for tidal waves of stress. But again, it’s all worth it in the end.”
Dorian’s piece of advice to anyone new to theatre is to “truly give it your all, because you get back what you put into it. [Things] usually turn out amazing”
Superlatives
Nicole Giordano says:
Most likely to be seen on Broadway: Olivia Reinebach
The most fashionable: Charlotte Ronan
The goofball of the cast: Three-way tie between Bobby Bentley, Ameer Abosheriah, and Noah Goldfischer
Most likely to have the funniest “behind the scenes” pictures: Dorian DeHart or Izzy Fiacco
Sofia Giustozzi says:
Most likely to be seen on Broadway: Olivia Reinebach
The most fashionable: Greta Donnelly or Julia Youngman
The goofball of the cast: Ameer Abosheriah
Most likely to have the funniest “behind the scenes” pictures: Noah Goldfischer or Francis Turner
Josh Caso says:
Most likely to be seen on Broadway: Nicole Giordano and Samantha Charwat
The most fashionable: Sierra Moench
The goofball of the cast: Francis Turner
Most likely to have the funniest “behind the scenes” pictures: Dorian DeHart
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened during rehearsals? A certain person falling to his death when this person was being held up in the air by two other people.
Olivia Reinebach says:
Most likely to be seen on Broadway: “Nicole Giordano, definitely. She’s got the drive and the passion like nobody I’ve ever seen. Get online, get in line, because she’s going to have sold-out shows in the future.”
The most fashionable: “Julia Youngman. Even on Saturday work days, when everyone else wore pjs and sweatpants, she had awesome graphic tees. She’s got a 90s-vibe to her outfits and I dig the high-waisted-jeans-and-a-wide-belt combo.”
The goofball of the cast: “Gotta hand it to Noah Goldfischer (right)—not a day of practice went by without him joking around. Even if I had a rough day, he always managed to crack me up.”
Most likely to have the funniest “behind the scenes” pictures: “It is tough to Snapchat and pay attention to cues at the same time. I don’t know if a single person was our star photographer, but everyone’s got at least a few meme-worthy [photos] of other people. I know I do.”
Bonus: What’s the funniest thing that ever happened during rehearsals? “There’s too many, I can’t pick just one. If you join theatre, you’ll see why we’re always smiling and laughing in the halls.”
Dorian Dehart says:
Most likely to be seen on Broadway: Nicole Giordano
The goofball of the cast: Every boy in the cast
Most likely to have the funniest “behind the scenes” pictures: Ameer Abosheriah and Dorian DeHart
Bonus: The funniest thing that ever happened during rehearsals: “Trust me, too many to count… way, way too many to count.…”
And that’s it folks, an inside look of what goes on behind the curtain! Most cast members say the long and rigorous rehearsals are challenging, but agree that the special sense of camaraderie among all cast and crew makes it worth it.
Takeaway: consider joining theater, if you haven’t already!
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