“I hate theater.”
Those are the gleefully ironic opening three words of The Drowsy Chaperone, BHS’s 2018 fall musical that premiered earlier this month. I had the opportunity to take part in the production, and it was unlike any show I’d ever been in. I’ve truly enjoyed performing in all 5 BHS shows I’ve been in, but I don’t think I’ve had near as much fun in any of them as I had in this one. With the show’s run having concluded weeks ago, let’s take a look at the performance and production of The Drowsy Chaperone through the eyes of someone who witnessed it firsthand.
But first, a little background. The Drowsy Chaperone first hit the BHS stage on November 9th, and performances continued on the 10th and concluded on the 11th, in addition to a preview performance exclusively for BHS students and a performance at the Senior Citizens Banquet. The show concerns a cynical, wistful old man in his apartment who decides to listen to a record of his favorite musical to cure a case of the blues. The record comes to life in front of the audience’s eyes as all the glamour and glitz of the 1920s is captured via snappy songs and charming comedic quips to the backdrop of an occasional expositional statement or witty remark from the man.
It took a lot of work from a lot of people for the show to be able to function, more than you might assume. Rehearsals took place every Monday through Thursday after school for two months, and these rehearsals lasted 2 to 3 hours. The week of the show, known as “tech week” to the crew, was even more demanding, as rehearsals lasted from 3pm to 7pm. Drama probably isn’t the most time-consuming extracurricular that BHS has, but it’s certainly up there, and it takes up more time than you might realize. Despite how much the show required from us, the cast and crew had a blast getting to work with each other.
“I loved it. It was so worth all the hours,” says Marshall Konwinski, a first time crew member who worked on the show as the sound technician. “I was able to grow some new friendships and I learned a lot as well.”
Most of the cast was well-acquainted with each other heading into the production, and those who weren’t became friendly with their castmates rather quickly. The kind and welcoming environment established by the cast and crew helped make the actual performances exponentially more fun to perform. Whether it was a silly scene or a dazzling dance number, my fellow castmates lit up the stage with strong and consistent energy, which became even easier to maintain because of just how fun the show was.
My own experience with the show was quite different than that of my comrades in the cast. I was fortunate enough to be cast in the role of the man listening to the record, referred to formally in the show as the Man in the Chair. I was excited to take a walk in the Man’s shoes, but the role was a rather isolated one. The Man doesn’t interact with any other principal character; they’re all fictional, while he is a real person in the real world living by himself, meaning that I had very little back-and-forth dialogue with another character. Almost all of my lines were spoken to the audience as opposed to another actor, and there were numerous lengthy monologues I had to deliver, including one at the very start of the show that took up a whole page of the script. That may sound like the worst form of torture to those who aren’t the public speaking sort, but it was right up my alley as a debater, and therefore I got comfortable with the role fairly quickly. The nature of the role also meant that I did not take part in any of the musical number throughout the course of the show. I had a very small singing part in one song, but even then I didn’t partake in any choreography. This was both a blessing and a curse. It was quite relieving not to have to worry about learning movements and lyrics by heart, but it was also somewhat sad for me. I enjoy singing and dancing more than the average high school male, and while I did get to do quite a bit of acting, I was also stripped of my ability to do the very things that one typically does in a musical, which was a little disappointing.
But I have absolutely no room or reason to complain. Whatever gripes I may have had quickly faded into the background as I became more familiar with my lines and blocking. The part was an absolute blast, and I eagerly awaited our first performance.
Friday, November 9th. Opening night had arrived. All of the hard work had led up to these three nights. It was showtime.
So how did we do? Well, I can’t really give you my opinion, or at least, if I did, it wouldn’t be very impartial. But the reviews from those I heard from who were in the audience were overwhelmingly positive.
“I definitely enjoyed it,” says Jonathan Trout, who attended the Saturday performance. “Everybody played their parts well, and the show overall was entertaining.”
He wasn’t the only one. The amount of positive feedback and support that the cast and crew received was truly amazing, and I think I speak for the whole drama department when I say we’re thankful for every single person who came to support the show, as well as an awesome administration that allows for us to have the opportunity to do great shows like this one.
The Drowsy Chaperone was, in my opinion, a rousing success. Audiences enjoyed watching and the cast and crew enjoyed performing. But for the drama department, it’s on to our spring play. I may not know just yet what the production is, but I think I can confidently say that if it’s anything like our last show, BHS will once again be in for a treat.