Put on by the theater department, “Pippin” the musical took over the stage Oct 16-19. marking the first musical of the school year.
Set in Medieval Europe, Prince Pippin, played by senior Jaron Pierce, tries to be anything other than ordinary. “Pippin” the Musical tells the story of a young prince on a quest to find his purpose and meaning. Guided by a manipulating leading player, played by senior Esra Melech, Pippin sets out to find meaning in war, pleasure, and power. Ultimately, Pippin truly finds happiness not in his journey, but in the ordinary.
“The musical explains that the ordinary parts of your life are just as important, if not more important than the extraordinary parts of your life,” Theatre director Brittany Murphy said.
The story is centered around Pippin’s journey to play the hand he’s been dealt. The production uses classic games like musical chairs, darts and tug of war to tell the story.
“When you watch the show, you see how every aspect of the show is changed by this commanding image of game play,” Murphy said.
Pippin’s technical team used a creative use of scale when building their props. They had a big prop of a house of cards, and other game pieces enlarged, that were unique to their production. The technical team made everyday objects into huge set pieces. The goal was to make the objects on the stage extraordinary like how Pippin wants his life to be.
“We did a real life-sized approach with things because we talk about how ordinary life is bigger, a lot of the crops and items that are used are sometimes overlooked, little chess pieces or darts, we made them life size. So I hope people feel like they’re a part of that world as we make ordinary objects kind of extraordinary,” Theater tech director Joseph Burnham said.
This year’s tech crew includes many new members who have quickly taken on important responsibilities. Along with managing sets and lights, the tech crew ensures the safety of each performance.
“ We’ve got a lot of new faces, they talk about their roles and their responsibilities to people outside of theater and they see it as very important and not something just to be overlooked,” Burnham said.
In Pippin, though in the background, the ensemble helped bring the story to life by building the story. They form the games seen throughout the show, using dancing and choreography to set each scene.
“I play in an ensemble. The concept of Pippin is players, one of the background characters who make the show,” Pippin actor sophomore, Angelica Pace, said.
Long rehearsals and late nights practicing brought the crew and cast closer together. Spending so much time working on the show since it was announced April 14, helping build friendships and community in theater.
“I’m with them every day, they’ve actually all started to become really close friends of mine because I’m with them all the time and I spend a lot of time with them,” Pace said.
Collaborating took place in all areas of the play. Students would work on building sets, making costumes, reading lines and making props together.
“In the past there has been this idea that like someone else needs to do that job for me, but in this group I feel like there’s an understanding or a feeling that we’re all in this together,” Murphy said.
The Pippin cast and crew have grown tremendously throughout the production process, with seniors leading the way with dedication and example. Their commitment and hard work have made them grow, and set an example for the rest of the actors.
“The play is all based on real life things. There’s truth to everything that’s going on, and I’ve learned so much and gained so much from this production,” Pace said.
