By: Ciara McAuliffe — Correspondent
After a year of musicals and plays over Zoom, the Sharon High School auditorium is once again filled with life, as the theatre company prepares for their late-November performance of the Into the Woods.
Cristine Kasparian and Ryan Kaplan, both graduates of SHS, have been appointed directors of the Sharon High School Theatre Company (SHSTC).
Senior Grace Miller-Trabold says that it has been a very tumultuous four years in the theatre company regarding directors and staff. “Since I started high school, we have gone through 6 different directors––Mr. Waite, Ms. Reardon, Ms. Gibbous, Ms. Stanley, and Mr. Brodeur––and we are now working with entirely new people. Because every director has a different style regarding rehearsal schedule and production, everything has been changing pretty constantly.”
“We are all super excited about our current directors though, Christine Kasparian and Ryan Kaplan, who both have tons of experience with the theatre world. They really embody the spirit of SHSTC, and they are working hard to bring that sense of community, commitment, and responsibility back after the pandemic,” added Miller-Trabold.
Kasparian says that she hope to bring a sense of community to the SHS theatre department. “I want all students to feel like they have a place to be themselves and explore every aspect of their creativity,” said Kasparian.
Kasparian chose Into the Woods for many reasons, one being its theme. “Into The Woods takes the classic fairytale characters we know and love and challenges them by putting them in situations where they have to make choices. The moral of the story is people can grow from mistakes, and no one is ever truly alone. Things can be exciting and fearful, joyous and devastating, justified and unfair, and I think that’s a message we can all relate to these days,” said Kasparian.
Preparation for the November 20th musical goes beyond rehearsing lines and numbers. Each year, the SHSTC divides into several departments––stage management, directorship, choreography, technical directorship, set design, and set construction.
“As head of set construction, my job is to work with the set design heads to make sure the designs the set team made are buildable, and to make sure no one gets left out and has an equal opportunity in building. We have most of the design concepts done and have already started building a lot of the flats and platforms,” said junior Jessy Pan.
“As head of tech, my job consists of designing and operating the lights and sound of the show. We hang and focus lights, record cues for both lights and sound, and manage what is seen and heard on stage,” said senior Elliot Danto, the head of tech.
The SHSTC meets six days a week, Monday through Saturday. On Saturdays, from 9 AM to 4 PM, the cast and crew works together on their set, props, tech, and costumes. “It’s a really great time to bond with people, and to get work done, and everything is coming along really well so far!” said Miller-Trabold.
The SHSTC will perform their production of Into the Woods on November 18th, 19th, 20th and the 21st.
“This show is coming together with great efficiency thanks to our wonderful director, our incredibly talented cast, and our amazing production teams. After going so long without theatre, everyone is coming back in full swing. You are not going to want to miss this one!” said senior Carter Danto.