The Show Must Go On
Titan Theater adapts to distance learning and the curtain will go up starting November 5.
Unlike the fall play, the spring musical will be held in the auditorium.
In lieu of the cancellation of school and their spring performance of Singing in the Rain, Dominion High School Theatre is putting on a Virtual Performance. A Night of One Acts: Ridiculosis by Proxy and A Virtual Whodunnit, is all going on Zoom. “The Stage ” will be set on November 5th at 7:30. Other dates are the 6th and 7th at 7:30 and a matinee on November 7th at 3.
Tickets will be available here. A single ticket will be 15 dollars, whereas a family ticket would be 25 dollars. Each ticket holder will receive a unique access link to the live performance.
DHS Students were able to audition for roles on Google Meet. “[Our actors] used online audition pieces that were posted in [the Theatre] Schoology Group. Then, I asked them to read for certain characters and allowed them to tell me if they were interested in a specific character that they then read for,” Titan Theater Director Doc Worth said.
They will be using Zoom, and have a backup plan of using Google Meet if Zoom does not work. Each performance will be livestreamed. Lareina Allred, a DHS junior, said “[My biggest worry] is if the internet goes out and we are not able to do it. I think we just need to figure out and deal with the internet.”
As a sophomore performer, Katy Price is finding ways to combat the internet. “I’ll make sure there are no WiFi problems beforehand so that I don’t lag on other peoples screens,” Price said.
All of the performers will be acting in the comfort of their own home, with personal set pieces built by other students. “My tech theatre students in my classes are building wooden flats to put in each actor’s space at their home on which we will use decorated sheets to hang to indicate the setting,” Doc said.
Lareina Allred is particularly excited for the ability to change the setting. “My character Macy, in one of the ‘One Acts’, is kind of like this free spirited hippie. So, I’m able to like change my camera angle and have things around me that reflect that and I’ll be able to do a lot of stuff with hair and makeup,” Allred said.
“The first One Act is an absurd comedy exploring the lengths people will go to avoid getting a disease. The second is an old fashioned noir detective play with 3 possible endings. The audience will vote in the chat for which character they think did it, and the one with the most votes will be performed,” Doc said.
“Several programs are not doing productions until we return to school. However, I felt driven to make this work. We are in the process of rebuilding the program, and I didn’t want there to be too much time between shows that those students would find other outlets. I also believe that, if we can provide opportunities outside of the school day for students to do something they enjoy, we are obligated to do so.” Doc said.
Singin’ In The Rain, the cancelled spring musical, was supposed to go on just one week after school was cancelled. This was particularly jarring for the 2020 seniors, who had made DHS Theatre so great, such as Saskia Hunter, Leecy Silk, and Josh Thomas.
Caelan Jones is Editor-in-Chief for DHS Press, where she has served for 3 years as a part of the program. As a Senior at Dominion, Caelan has been a part...
