Mira Costa drama students star in two fall productions
It’s not ideal, and it’s not how anyone envisioned doing this earlier in the year, but the Mira Costa High School Drama and Tech Department has adapted to the rules and rigors of the pandemic and is forging ahead with two fall productions, “Spoon River, an adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology,” directed by Jonathan Westerberg, and “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” by Don Zoldis, adapted by him for a virtual format and directed by Maddie Hutchinson.
Both directors were available to discuss the challenges of presenting theater in a way that initially must have seemed daunting, but any obstacles now appear to have been largely overcome.
Easy Reader: Staging a show and not having a live audience must be disappointing, especially for the young cast. How did each of you get around that? What innovations or adaptations on your part were needed? How did you conduct rehearsals?
Jonathan Westerberg: “Yes, I’m sure they are disappointed, but they understand as we all do, that this is the only way to make theater happen right now. We auditioned and rehearsed the shows entirely through Zoom. We will be performing that way as well, so the productions are brought to the audience under quarantine conditions. This entire endeavor has been a challenge to figure out how to use the screen for live storytelling.”
Maddie Hutchinson: “I agree with what Jonathan has said. An important part of the process as well has been having open discussions with the students about these things—lack of audience response, managing their own costumes/props/lighting, and so on—and using it as a way to unite and problem-solve together. Actors in my cast are playing up to three different characters, each with costumes, hair/wigs, makeup elements and more, and have consequently had to step into multiple roles. They have each developed their own system and routine that works best for their space. While parts of the traditional performance experience has been lost and may feel disappointing, this group has found ways to embrace what we do have and enjoy telling this story despite curveballs that have come our way.”
Westerberg: “We wanted contrasting pieces. ‘The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon’ is fun, fast-paced and hilarious. I’ll let Maddie weigh in on why she selected it, but I can add that the playwright adapted the stage version for virtual theater so that it really feels like it was written with pandemic circumstances in mind. I selected ‘Spoon River’ for its monologue-style format, the opportunity it gave to rehearse and record student vocals (the adaptation is a play with period music), and because Masters’ poems have so much to say about relationships, our world, and the significance of life. Both shows were selected once we learned that going back to school and having an ‘ordinary’ Fall Show process and experience were impossible.”
Hutchinson: “While looking through titles, ‘The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon’ really stood out for multiple reasons. Not only was it adapted to fit within the Zoom performance realm, but there was a humor and charm to the characters and the writing felt like something audiences could use right now. I loved the idea of a show with recognizable characters, such as Cinderella or Hansel and Gretel, that would allow audiences to feel nostalgic. That said, a large part of this show centers around either telling a version of these stories people may be less familiar with, or even challenging more antiquated elements from these ‘classic tales.’ Finally, as Jonathan and I discussed this title, we realized it was a great way to honor last year’s production of ‘Into the Woods,’ which also revolves around fairy tales and couldn’t fully come to fruition when quarantine came about.”
Westerberg: “I hadn’t really considered that. No, we have no intention of remounting these shows live. They were tailored for the screen specifically. To put them up live would require an entirely new production process.”
ER: More generally speaking, how has COVID-19 impacted the way that drama is being taught and staged?
Westerberg: “I have taken the attitude, along with my students, that we do our best to move forward as we normally would. We just need to think of the screen now as our theater. It is a very different sort of theater for sure and the rules of staging and performance technique shift a bit. But, as with any theater space, you figure out how to best use it to tell the stories you want to tell and you move forward. Ultimately, we still have the script, the performers, a sense of direction, and design challenges. I think art can be at its best when circumstances conspire to prevent it from happening.”
ER: What else would you like to emphasize about these productions?
Westerberg: “The student cast and crew have been tremendous throughout all of this. This is a tough time for everyone but I’m impressed with how professional these students have been while missing out on the opportunity to do a Fall show in front of a live audience. The seniors especially have had to embrace this new format as their final Fall production and I applaud them for stepping up to the challenge.”
Hutchinson: “I second everything Jonathan has said. I have been so immensely impressed with and proud of these students! Even after a long day of academic Zooms and work, they show up prepared, enthusiastic, and invested. Their ability to trust in me and this process is something I don’t take lightly, and I’m confident that all the hard work will pay off for our audience. I hope that this show brings a smile to our audience, and that Mira Costa’s Fall Season serves as evidence that art, creation, and imagination can and will find ways to persevere through any situation.”
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon is being presented this Friday as well as Thursday, Nov. 12, and Saturday, Nov. 14. The dates for Spoon River are this Saturday, plus Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14. All start times are at 7 p.m. with the exception of the Nov. 14 production of “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” which is at 2 p.m. For ticket links and additional information, go to miracostadramaboosters.org. ER
