Our high school theatre program presented Something Rotten for its spring musical. Something Rotten is the story of two playwright brothers in Renaissance England. The problem? They just can’t compete with Shakespeare. So, they hire a fortune teller to predict the next big thing in theatre... and set out to write the world’s rst musical. Packed with zany humor and (of course) a toe-tapping score, Something Rotten takes the Bard to Broadway, shamelessly plundering everything from Romeo and Juliet to West Side Story, Hamlet to Hamilton. Megan Barbour ’05, Director of Theatre, graciously shares her insights and experiences from bringing this production to life, o ering a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, the challenges and triumphs of the cast and crew, her favorite moments, and the magic that unfolded on stage. WHAT INSPIRED THE CHOICE OF SOMETHING ROTTEN FOR THIS YEAR’S SPRING MUSICAL PRODUCTION? I try to give the students a wide variety of shows to build di erent performance skills and expose them to the range of the theatre canon. This year, we were looking at comedy and physicality. Both Pu s and Something Rotten included a lot of slapstick. They were a blast to work on, but very challenging! The style requires a lot of energy, and our performers delivered. I was also thrilled to give them Something Rotten because it is packed full of references to my two favorite things: Shakespeare and musical theatre. I think they are able to identify a few more shows now because of what they’ve learned. I hope they have an interest in learning more about both! HOW DID THE STUDENTS PREPARE FOR THEIR ROLES AND THE PERFORMANCES? Putting on a play is a lot of hard work. We rehearse every day after school for about three months before the show opens. We start by digging into the text, exploring characters and relationships, and generating questions. Then we add blocking (everywhere an actor moves onstage) by working out how movement can help the character achieve their goals. I love when students bring ideas to the table. You have to set your ego aside and be willing to make bold choices that may not work at rst. You have to be willing to explore wacky things, but take the silliness seriously. That’s why they call it a play! CAN YOU SHARE A MEMORABLE MOMENT OR HIGHLIGHT FROM THE REHEARSALS OR PERFORMANCES? We got hit really hard by the u during tech week. Junior Alex Dimock got very sick. He played the role of Brother Jeremiah, a Puritan extremist who constantly threatens the other characters with re and brimstone. Since this is a comedy, his speeches were always unintentionally hilarious; the character takes himself way too seriously. Alex made me cry with laughter, and missing him was a huge blow to the show! For that dress rehearsal, Freshman Will Parsons had to step in. There was one scene that Will had to act as two characters: his original role, Lord Clapham, and Brother Jeremiah. He rst went on as Brother Jeremiah and absolutely tore it up with a hilarious monologue lled with religious zeal. With a swift exit in righteous fury, he changed his hat and re-entered as Lord Clapham saying, “those religious nutters frighten me.” His performance was so impeccably timed that I have rarely laughed so hard. WHAT WAS THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF WORKING WITH THESE STUDENTS ON THIS PRODUCTION? This marks my seventh year teaching at Aquinas, meaning that this year’s senior class was in sixth grade when I rst arrived. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing their entire journey at Aquinas. It’s been incredibly meaningful to watch them grow together. They arrived as children, and I’ve had the opportunity to see them evolve and discover themselves over the years. IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU THINK THIS EXPERIENCE WILL IMPACT THE STUDENTS’ GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT? I love to shout this from the rooftops: in the theatre program, once the show opens, not one single adult is in charge. Students are onstage, backstage, and in the booth making the show happen. I sit in the audience and watch them work. I have never encountered another educational setting where students have 100% full control. Imagine if the coaches sat in the stands during the games with the referees. Imagine a teacher sitting in a chair while the students taught the class. Yet, all I do on the night of the show is unlock the door. They do all the rest. What a testament to our students’ abilities! They leave Aquinas knowing how to lead, how to listen, and how to respect their peers. Even more, they leave Aquinas with the understanding that they alone are responsible for turning their dreams into reality. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTS EDUCATION IN A HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM? The performing arts have a monumental impact on all students who get to participate in them! The arts teach creative problem solving, teamwork, grace under pressure, resilience, leadership, con dence, outside-the-box thinking, literacy, compassion, respect, selfadvocacy, drive, and a whole lot of other things no computer will ever be able to do. But besides giving kids these crucial life skills, the arts impart something even more impactful: they create meaning in our lives. The Spring Musical: Something Rotten 29
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTcyNDA=