Following the start of a brand new year, the Galena High School Drama Club has been quick to initiate another play for the upcoming Spring. However, this production is set to be unlike any of the others previously performed. Whether or not these decisions are for better or worse will ultimately be decided by the audience.
To begin with, this year’s performance will be The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, which entails a group of actors attempting to recount most (if not all) of Shakespeare’s plays in one sitting. Now here’s what’s going to make this different from the rest: the show in question has only three available roles. Three. And there seems to be some reasoning behind it. It could be that the methodology here is to have a small quantity of actors, and to maximize the quantity of backstage crew to encourage improvement in sections of the performance, like lighting and set-building. So, in terms of set building, more polish can be expected for this year’s stage.
However, the small cast presents some reasonable concerns regarding the implications of the play. It’s no secret that an exceptionally large portion of the audience that goes to these performances make up the performers’ relatives. And it’s not something to shame the play for, as it’s natural for the families to be the biggest supporters of these high school plays. But this small cast has also deterred many students from participating, as most of them only wish to be actors. While there’s plenty of roles to fill backstage, it’s not likely that a large number of these aspiring actors will take the initiative to work as the set crew or soundboard. Additionally, this dwindles the numbers of seniors to actually be able to attend what would have been their last show, and while it’s understandable that this performance simply requires more dedication on the part of the student, it doesn’t mean that such a small cast should be ever present in a high school production. After all, it’s meant to rope students in, so give them a shot and see how they can take the stage!
