When it comes to Skyline Theater, the shows range from serious to comedic on a year to year basis. Clue, the spring play for this year, is no exception from the comedy and craziness the program brings to every show. Opening in mid April, Skyline Theater had much ahead of them for every member.
“I want to constantly up our anty and give you guys stuff to really challenge [our limits]. So that’s what I look at for a piece, it was a comedy year,” Director Anne-Marie Roberts exclaimed. “It’s an amazing piece, Sandy Ruston did a great job taking this film and making it into a stage play. Then the high school addition dealt with some of the stuff that I’m not comfortable seeing my students do.”
There’s a lot that goes into putting on a show, specifically when it comes to the actors and performers. Learning lines, beginning blocking, rehearsing run throughs–they have to do it all.
“It’s been really fun. The actors are on it and I’m really proud of all the hard work that they’re putting in,” said Sarita Gankin (‘24). “The whole process has really been a blast, especially with my hard working Assistant Stage Manager Maddie, I can’t wait to see what she does in the future.”
Actors aren’t the only ones that make the show run, though: the technicians who set the scene and bring ideas to life are also vital to the creative vision. This process for technicians hasn’t been without conflict and confusion.
“The process to create this has been up and down, it’s never a straight line. So when you’re doing it you have to approximate what you don’t know and in some instances you get it right and in some instances you get it wrong,” stated Technical Director Chris Zinger. “Sometimes it’s in sync and everything is going in the right direction and we’re doing good, and then other times, like when I’m out for two and a half weeks and everybody has to pick up the pieces, that process gets out of sync…”
This isn’t the only challenge technicians face, however. They encounter a multitude of challenges throughout the process, especially as the vision comes together and draws near.
“Another problem is, I’d say, time. Having the time to build this massive set and put it together is very difficult with what we’ve
been given,” remarked Jeremiah Nabors-Moore (‘24). “Then of course there’s the moving, how the rooms and how the whole set moves. Rooms move in and out and getting the dimensions for those right has been really difficult but we’ve been doing our best and I’d say it’s coming together.”
Even though they faced many challenges through the process, Skyline Theater pulled the show together for opening weekend.
“I think it’s one of those things where you can see underneath the diamond, so there’s the rough edges and we just need to get in there and hone it, so that it shines and sparkles,” Roberts said.
Note: AJ North is a member of Skyline’s Theater Program
