MHS has countless clubs and activities which, under normal circumstances, thrive on campus. With COVID-19 continuing to impact the county, MHS has been forced to remain closed. So what does this mean for the clubs that students and teachers come together for?
Theatre is an interactive club at MHS and has had to adjust to COVID restrictions t. Auditions for “The Stowaway” and “Week Days” occurred in early February, announced on the MHS theatre Instagram page. According to MHS theatre teacher Kaila Schwartz, these productions are two one-act plays that pair together nicely. Due to the virus, students interested in auditioning were asked to send in a video of them performing a provided monologue from each of the plays, Schwartz said in an email interview.
“I’d never conducted auditions in this manner before. One positive difference is that this gave students more time to rehearse their monologues. One not-so-positive difference is that I didn’t get the chance to talk with everyone, collectively or individually, so I didn’t have the chance to get to know them,” she said. “Another huge difference is that no seniors auditioned,” Schwartz said. This has never happened before, she added.
There are not a lot of differences between a normal rehearsal during COVID-19 and an in-person rehearsal; the actors still warm-up, play games, discuss the characters and themes of the plays, and rehearse the scenes, Schwartz said.
“Normal rehearsals during COVID-19 are fairly simple,” junior Paige Hutchison said in an email interview. “We log on at start time, stretch and prep for the first 10-15 minutes, and then we start working on the play. Most of the time that means reading through the play, making character choices, and figuring out what to do.”
Technology does bring some additional hindrances that outside of the theatre, one might not consider at all. “We also have to spend some time figuring out how to use the camera properly as well. It takes practice using the camera as the eye of the character instead of looking at the face on the computer screen,” Hutchison said.
Back at MHS, theatre would meet four to five days per week. Online, that time has been cut down to two to three times a week, Schwartz said. She is mindful of the fact that it is hard to be on screen for so many hours in a day, and to compensate, she tries to make efficient use of the time spent meeting with the club, she said.
Currently, each cast member will be responsible for recording their scenes, Schwartz said. Schwartz will provide each of them with a green screen to make video editing easier, she said. Once everyone has sent Schwartz their recordings, it’s a matter of editing everything together, she said. The editing process takes a very long time – which is why nobody has yet seen the fall production because she is still working on the final product, Schwartz said.
Currently, Schwartz is editing the spring production, she said. “For the spring production, I do have time constraints, so everything has to be finished and ready to air by the end of April. Then, tickets will be sold for audience members to watch the plays online. Just keep a lookout on social media or through ParentSquare,” Schwarz said.