Revere Players is making changes to their upcoming play cycle following the audition process in order to prepare.
Revere Players have a new procedure to go through as they approach the fall season. The new play is just as ordinary as the other years on the surface, but with a few major additions on top of the usual process. The audition days ended on September 12; and according to Players adviser Sarah Pine, the process is just as it’s been during previous years.
“Treasure Island has both acting and fighting parts. It causes me to look at creative liberty a lot more. Like I want a performer who really understands the task,” Pine said.
Pine said that the process she does is usually meticulous and filled with incredibly difficult decisions.
“What we do is we rate their performances on a card, they’re rated from a score from one to five. Even still it’s a brutal decision to make, because sometimes these people excel in very specific facets but they don’t do well in other areas. So that’s why the process takes so long sometimes, it’s super taxing,” Pine said.
Pine also utilizes a number of tactics to reduce stress among the performers. The steps she takes to ensure the auditions are stress free and fun for everyone involved are just as integral to the auditions than anything else.
“I always start with a laid back and friendly briefing on how the scene is going to go and then I just let them do their thing, I also give them a scene partner not only so they can feel like they have someone to rely on, but also in order to give them something to work with.” Pine said.
“I also allow second chances just in case their mishaps are caused by anything unfair or something that can be fixed easily,” Pine said.
Although the purpose of the other audition leaders are essential. Pine takes great measures in making sure her and her fellow faculty directors are solely responsible for the audition decisions.
“We try to keep students away from the auditions just because a lot of student politics go on, and these parts can be so competitive that we don’t want a freshman getting in a leading role when they probably didn’t deserve it,” Pine said.
Pine describes on the parts different grade levels generally get.
“It’s not so much that we give upperclassmen leading roles out of favoritism or even skill, but more so that they have the experience that no underclassmen will have. So if they mess something up just because they’re a little inexperienced, and they’re front and center, that would be really bad.” Pine said.
Contrary to what many first time actors might assume, these parts of the player hierarchy often come with plenty of unforeseen benefits to the underclassmen.
“If they’re kept a little more in the background their first few years and work their way up, they’ll thrive much more in the leading role. Although it’s not uncommon for some students to do better in play auditions as opposed to musical auditions, or vice versa.” Pine said.
Players President Bane Thurman does not have much to do with the audition process, students’ role in the decision making process is downplayed, but he is taking strides to make changes to the early phases of the process. It is at this point where the changes are starting to be made.
“In order for the students to stay involved, what I’ve done is expand the role of team building exercises. Originally they were just a short five to ten minute activity, but here I’m expanding it to a full day’s worth of activities. It’ll benefit the chemistry between the cast,” Thurman said.
Thurman said that the student body is self-governing and easy to work with, especially when it comes to the proposal of new activities. The Student body is often coming up with new and creative ideas.
“The idea didn’t go through many adults, I sold it to Mrs. Pine and immediately proposed it to my fellow board members, they were all completely in on the idea,” Thurman said.
Thurman has been through the process of integrating a new event into Players many times.
“I don’t take much of a coaching role whatsoever. Maybe I’ll give out some very insignificant and constructive criticism if I can, but mostly I leave it to the actual directors. Students’ work is pretty much entirely behind the scenes,” Thurman said.
Board member and Vice President Norah Brownlee is also working to make this play different from the rest. As she has been working with Pine, Thurman, and other colleagues to achieve their aspirations.
“One of the big things we were talking about trying to do is we wanted to make the play a bigger event for the whole school. A lot of times it’s only Players who know about it, but we want to make it like a Friday football game vibe,” Brownlee said.
Brownlee agrees with the rest of the board that the entire school should be in on the event. As they continue their endeavors into stronger advertisement, Brownlee explains the new event ideas.
“We want to include raffles, and a whole bunch of announcements each day, even a school spirit week, just to really accumulate hype and get a larger audience. Because it’s unlike something like The Crucible, even though it was great, it’s not as depressing an experience. Treasure Island is way more fun and exciting and it’s super comedic as well,” Brownlee said.
Revere Players are excited to start a new year of productions, and lead the players in a new direction of fruituity.
