Will present “It’s a Wonderful Life”
A group of parents and students gathered in the parking lot and walked into the September school board meeting together. When it was time for public comment, they urged the board to reinstate the high school drama club. The support for the program was encouraging.
At the time, there were no extracurricular activities. But that’s changed. The drama club has been reactivated. And the members are working on their first production of the year. They will present “It’s a Wonderful Life: A live radio play by Joe Landry” on Dec. 18 and 19 at 7 p.m., and on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.
Streaming information can be found on the school district website.
Anthony Ravinsky is the club’s faculty advisor and director. He says that all rehearsals have been on line.
Since this is a simulated radio broadcast, performers may play several parts. The show includes radio-style sound effects as well as jingles and commercials.
Mr. Ravinsky reports that the adaptation is close to the original movie. He admits that the performers miss the reaction of a live audience. But there’s an advantage to streaming. The show will be available to people who live a distance from the theater. Out-of-town relatives can now be part of the audience.
There were no extracurricular activities for the first two months of the semester. After years of being busy after school, Mr. Ravinsky admitted it felt strange to be leaving the building at 2 p.m. each day.
The timing of the performance is also unusual. The drama club has never staged a production in December. It wasn’t feasible in other years, because the school district was too busy. But 2020 is different. Because of the virus, there are no band or choral concerts. Students are still receiving instrumental lessons, but they’re getting them virtually and not in person.
“I’ve been doing the same thing for 17 years,” Mr. Ravinsky told us during a telephone conversation. “And now I feel like a new teacher.”
But he wasn’t complaining. “It’s nice to have community support,” he said in reference to the September school board meeting. “And it’s good to see our students smiling again.”
