51 students from Santa Fe auditioned for this year’s play, “Play On!,” on Aug. 28 and 29. The show will run three separate times: Nov. 15 at 7 p.m., Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“Play On!” is a comedy about a group of community theater actors attempting to perform a local playwright’s play. The show depicts their rehearsal process, including their performances. However, the playwright continuously alters the script, leaving the cast scrambling to memorize new lines on the spot. As opening night approaches, the actors must overcome their struggles, and the show must go on.
The cast is split into two groups: The “Broadway Cast” will perform the evening shows, and the “West End Cast” will take the afternoon performance. The total cast includes 20 students across these two groups.
Aggie Manville– Tessa Wolff / Grace Guo
Gerry Dunbar– Melanie Redwine / Landon Hoffman
Henry Banish– Cooper Cook / Ammar Ali
Polly Banish– Abby Bennett / Shelby Gomes
Marla “Smitty” Smith– Estella Rambo / Josey Crawford
Saul Watson– Carter Weidman / Kellen Brown
Billy Carewe– Patric Ingram / Trey Kapla
Violet Imbry– Maliyah Moore / Kenzie Baysinger
Louise Peary– Megan Lyon / Avery Qualls
Phyllis Montague– Gray Visalli / Zoe Jones
(Broadway Cast / West End cast)
The audition process can be daunting. For this show, auditions were conducted through a series of cold reads. After arriving, participants only had a few minutes to review the script before performing in front of the casting crew and their own competition.
“The hardest part about this audition process was not knowing exactly what I was going into when I walked into the room,” senior Maliyah Moore said. “I happened to go first every time we were called to perform, so naturally I felt like a mouse in a maze, hoping I was making the right decisions.”
Not only were auditions anxiety-inducing, but this show requires two of the characters, Billy and Violet, to do an onstage kiss.
“I’m definitely nervous for the kiss,” Moore said. “I’m more than sure everything will be coordinated, planned and directed perfectly, but kissing in front of a room full of people is understandably nerve racking.”
Despite the challenges, plays offer students a chance to meet new people with similar interests.
“I’m most looking forward to the experience and the bonding,” senior Kenzie Baysinger said.
A lot of effort goes into the play even down to the actual production, which at Santa Fe, are all student-led. This includes the making of the set, sound lighting, and more.
