Walking into the auditorium on November 5th was like a dream. The familiar theater was replaced by cobble pillars and luscious vines. We gawked in amazement at our altered auditorium as we took our seats. It was fascinating to see how our classmates had transformed a bare stage into an ethereal scene. Murmurs from our friends came to a halt when the theater lights suddenly dimmed. The ghosts of two silhouettes walked onto the stage, and the show began.
The CPS drama department perfectly expressed Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream. Lysander and Hermia’s complicated romance and Demetrius and Helena’s conflict were told brilliantly through witty dialogue. The actors used metaphors and irony to keep the audience engaged as the characters moved through obstacles, eventually reaching a satisfying ending.
Kaila Robb said that her favorite aspects of the performance were the costumes and the stagecraft details. The rest of the audience was just as impressed by the costumes: actors adorned flower crowns, scarlet pinstripe vests, and flowy dresses. The fashion intensified the environment of the performance. The efforts of the backstage crew, who were responsible for designing props, lighting, costumes, scenery, and sound, spirited and engrossed the audience. Liam Hyatt, who worked on designing the sets, described the experience as very fun, and a great community where he always felt included: “I would highly recommend it to anyone!"
The following night, the auditorium hosted another Shakespeare play: Julius Caesar. It was intriguing to recognize familiar events from our history textbooks and Latin club assembly announcements. The actors maintained a remarkably organic sounding tone through dramatic monologues of sophisticated, old language. Even though the play was a tragedy, the actors successfully balanced it with comedic elements like Caesar's arrogance. My favorite moment of the performance was when Brutus and his conspirators bathed in Caesar’s blood, comically coating their arms in a mysterious red liquid.
At the end of each of the respective plays, the audience clapped noisily, demonstrating their respect for the hard work of our classmates. The actors and stage crew found each other’s hands and bowed.