There is no doubt that Eaglecrest’s theater program works hard to produce exhilarating performances. Their most recent production of Lord of the Flies spotlights this. Opening night occurred on October 25th, 2024. The following day, on October 26th, the cast performed in a matinee, and then again that same night.
For some simple background knowledge, this play was based off of William Golding’s 1954 novel Lord of the Flies. In this story, a group of tweens gets stranded on an island after a lethal plane crash. Throughout the book, they turn on eachother,and have to learn to survive whilst ultimately fighting a destructive war amongst themselves. Many themes are highlighted throughout Golding’s work, such as civilization and the impulses of human nature. From reading this book, one could easily gather the idea that society depends on authority in order to maintain tranquility.
“Being a senior, I try to give people tips on memorizing their lines,” said senior Keiran Freeman. “I helped more with the auditions though.”
This play was dominated by underclassmen. It is not very often that freshman and sophomores are able to play large roles in major high school theatrical productions. However, since the majority of characters in this story are adolescents (around the age of 12), it seemed more reasonable to give roles to younger students than older students. Although underclassmen were prominent in this play, there were still a fair amount of upperclassmen, as they have more experience in the theater environment. Juniors and seniors were able to take some of the weight off of the teachers and staff that were organizing the various aspects of the play. They stepped into running some auditions and rehearsals. The upperclassmen could better understand what the underclassmen were struggling with, since they are already accustomed to the theater program. The underclassmen were able to gain insight into how they were developing as actors and actresses. They also obtained tips and tricks that targeted their exact needs. Without the help of the upperclassmen, their shows would not be the same. This play taught students of all ages a variety of concepts.
“It was actually a big challenge for me because I had never played an antagonist before,” said senior Eliza Way. “It taught me that even when your character seems totally different from you, you still have some things in common with them, which is what you can use to build your character.”
No matter what you do in life, or where you go, you’ll learn great lessons. Especially when you’re still in high school and are actively growing into yourself. In any play or musical that someone stars in, they have to get used to portraying someone else entirely different from who they really are. One has to completely give into certian traits to fully embody a new character. It can be very difficult to steer away from your own personal morals, ethics, and personality. Specifically in Lord of the Flies, the cast members had to take a step back in time and adjust to acting as someone younger than them. With playing a younger character comes adapting to greater senses of curiosity and optimism. Those who were new to the acting scene had to get comfortable with being on stage, as well as acting in general, while those who have had experience in the scene had to focus on major role changes, like being a hero, a villian, or a love interest, when they had never been one before. All of the cast members put all of their effort into the art of perfecting their appearances as their given character.
Preparing for this play and actually performing in it was a big difference for the actors and actresses. A lot of the underclassmen were timid and nervous to begin, but as time went on, they fit right and stood up to the challenge of performing in this lively play. There were also a few dramatic shifts the week before the show premiered. The cast had to work rigorously to improve their play the week of the show. Some could argue that getting ready for this play was more relaxed, and actually performing in it was more stressful, as they were acting for a large crowd of people and not just their classmates and teachers. On the other hand, people could also argue that preparing for this play was more hectic, and truly performing was more serene. They coil have thought this since they had their lines memeorized and had performed the same thing over and over again by the time their first live performance struck. Theater is a warming environment, which allowed these talented students to succeed to the great levels.
“Theater kids outside of theatre are kind of quiet,” said sophomore Cody Vormittag. “But once we come together, we love to talk about our interests and what we’re passionate about.”
The theatre program at EHS is like one big family. The members are able to act silly and goofy with eachother, work to pursue their dreams, express their every emotion, and help one another with whatever life throws their way. Theatre culture could best be described as welcoming and charismatic to someone who has never experienced it. Theater students want to ensure that anyone that enters is cared for, loved, and accepted with open arms. Most of the time, theater is all about having fun and attempting to uplift others. Although they have to always have to focus on perfecting their next show, they always make sure to have a good time with it, maintain a positive mindset, and see the best in any situation they encounter.
This play in particular helped the cast and crew bond on deep levels. The time the cast bonded the most was by far toward the end of the play. They all got to be in the same space and interact with eacother whilst embracing their charaters mentalities. Long days, nights, and rehearsals made it clear to them that they could do hard things and push through rough patches together. Lord of the Flies was a rather ensemble heavy show. There were a fair amount of actors and actresses with small roles. When this occurs, one could perceive that the cast is not super connected since there are so any people. With each large role, the performers have to get to know one another to enhance their chemistry and strengthen their acting abilities. With ensemble heavy shows, there is no need for such immense bonding. What was different about this show from others was that the cast and crew naturally fell into place with one another and clicked instantly. Everyone got along nicely in this show and connected past the surface of simple friendiness.
A proper play comes from not only skillful acting, but also, a gifted tech crew. It could be argued that tech crews are what make theatrical productions so appealing. They build and decorate the sets, control the lights, and ensure that the microphones and audio systems are running correctly. In Lord of the Flies, the tech crew had to construct a somewhat realistic looking plane crash. To do so, they connected pieces of dented and rusted metals. They also made the stage replicate a lush, green forest, with a magnitude of trees, vines, plants, and sand. To wrap up their set, the crew was instructed to create fires that glowed with embers of red, orange, and yellow. They were even able to capture starry moonlit night skies . The set could best be described as extraordinary. The spotlight never strayed from the corresponding actors. Never once did a microphone cut out. Beauty is another important aspect of the tech crew in any musical or play. It is crucial that the actos and actresses look as close to their specific characters as they can, as it helps them dig deeper into their roles. Designing and making outfits, and doing makeup and hair are not easy tasks. EHS is very lucky to have students that take pride in such endeavors. The beauty team is just one more aspect to our theatrical productions that make them so victorious. And last but not least, no one can forget about the beloved ushers. The ushers smoothly fulfilled their duty of ushering attendees into the show and passing out programs that list who was involved in the play, and how they were involved in the play.
The cast relies upon an enthusiastic audience to hype them up for a show, and vice versa. In this play, almost every single seat was occupied for each showing, as the cast and crew’s families and friend could not wait to watch what their loved ones worked so hard for. Plenty of students that were interested in understanding what EHS’s performing arts had to offer and came to support theater too.
Lord of the Flies was a hit. Members of EHS’s theater department produced another lively, appealing, and emotional show. They stayed true to themselves and worked alongside one another through thick and thin.
