Festival of plays 2020, different from all the rest

September 23, 2020

Festival of Plays took place on September 11, 2020 on youtube. All of the cast members put so much effort into these three shows. Even though theatre is different, everything from rehearsing all the way to recording was done with such good work.    

Jenison High School Thespians perform yet another festival of plays, this time, just different. 

First off, the process of auditions was way different this year. Everyone who wanted to audition signed up for an hour slot on zoom and then logged on for that hour. During the audition, you would introduce yourself, listen to the directors explain their shows, and then perform a cold read. A cold read is a brief scene you rehearse once or twice before performing.

“The process of choosing cast members is not easy. Before auditions, it is important to do research and figure out ahead of time what you are looking for in each character. Going into auditions with this background idea, it will be a lot easier to cast your show. Keep in mind that you can change your mind during the auditions,” said Katelyn Warkentien.

“Casting was different this year because it was all on zoom. Essentially we had a certain number of people sign up to zoom for about an hour at a time…After everyone auditioned, all of the directors conversed and collaborated about who they would like in which role. After negotiations we sent out our cast lists,” said Connor Vachon.

Also, there were many different reasons why people choose to participate in the Festival of Plays this year. Some people choose to participate because they love theatre, some chose to do it to hang out with their friends, and some chose to participate for a number of different reasons.

”I have always loved participating in theatre and I had a blast in the past two FOP shows that I have been in, so it seemed like the obvious choice to audition for FOP this year,” said Kala Mitcham.

“I wanted to direct because I had such a great experience directing last year, and I wanted to act because I missed performing. being involved in all three shows was stressful at times, but it was worth it. I had a great time,” said Connor Vachon.

As well as that, the recording process changed this year. Two of the shows recorded in the JCA (with masks), while the other production recorded via zoom. The process was long and time consuming, but the final product was well worth the wait. 

”One of my favorite things from the show was recording in the JCA and watching the shows altogether,” said Sara Jean Postle

Last, there were many great memories made during this year’s festival of plays. For example, some people made memories by hanging out with their friends, while some made memories by getting to know other people. 

“One of my favorite memories is when we did a speed-through; a full run from beginning to the end of the show as fast as possible. Another favorite memory I have of The 9 Worst Breakups of All time is our cast bonding when we had a bonfire and played games together while social distancing,” said Katelyn Warkentien.

“My two favorite memories are getting ice cream after rehearsal and just overall getting to know the freshman in our show,” said Kala Mitcham.

A survey was sent out to the Jenison High School student body asking how many theatre productions they did in their lives. Out of 586 students, 28% students participated in at least one theatrical production. Theatre has made a huge impact on students’ lives, whether they did one show, three shows, ten shows, or even no shows. Even if you never participate in theatre, just watching the show can leave a huge impact on your life.

Katelyn Warkentien – 11th grade
Kala Mitcham – 11th grade
Sara Jean Postle – 9th grade
Connor Vachon – 12th grade

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