Due to the change of operations by the HSE school board that grades 7-12 were to become 100% virtual beginning Nov. 16, the school play this year decided to record the performance but they had to act fast without affecting the quality of the show. By losing seven days of preparation, the stage crew and the actors had to adapt quickly to the changed performance date. The production of “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” was supposed to show Nov. 20-21.

“We pulled this show together in about two-thirds of the normal rehearsal time,” director Anna Nickell said. “With several students absent for up to two weeks of rehearsals at a time due to quarantines, including our two leads, and understudies filling in as a result, We did a tech week in two days, adapted from theatre to film in two days, and performed with masks on while socially distanced.” 

Due to the short notice of filming the play, the stage crew was overwhelmed because they only had one full rehearsal before the actual film. The filming took about four hours after school, ending around 9 p.m.

“I have never had to rush a show this much before and I have been stage managing for over four years,” senior Megan Gibson said. “It was completely foreign and scary and I didn’t know what it would feel like.”

Nickell figured filming early was the best solution, as she was unsure of the future. She found that on Friday the whole cast except one was not at school. Additionally, editing would take time and she did not know how guidance would act about extracurriculars. 

“The actual day of the recording seemed to run pretty smoothly,” lead actor senior Ben Holland said. “There were obviously some hiccups in the road, but this cast and crew once again adapted to the situation and did everything necessary to make this show happen.”

The play was available on the weekend of Nov. 21-22 with the streaming pass costing $15 on broadwayondemand.com. The cast and crew successfully managed to get the film out on the same date the in-person play was to happen Nov. 21-22. 

“I was so happy that we got to do the show,” Nickell said. “After having the musical canceled last spring, it would’ve been extremely difficult to have to cancel again. We certainly learned some things about how to best film in the auditorium, so I think if we have to film another production the result will be even better.”

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