This November, Sidwell’s theater department will present Tina Howe’s “Museum.” The play takes place on the final day of a museum exhibit and follows several visitors as they absorb the art around them and connect with each other. Over 40 distinct characters walk through the museum — security guards, artists, foreigners and more — making space for a variety of interesting interactions to take place throughout the one-hour production.
According to junior Ashika Agrawal, preparing for the show is no easy feat; Agrawal explains that “preparation for the play starts about 1-2 months before the performances [open],” with rehearsals taking place “most night[s] from 5:45-8:00 pm.”
With the show slated to open in late November, Agrawal says the schedule is organized to “block and plan out every scene” before then, anticipating that the performers are “off-book,” meaning able to recite their lines from memory, a month before opening night. With over ten hours per week spent through two and a half months, the fall play is a large time commitment.
Junior Amar Johnson, a member of the tech crew, notes that “the amount of work that [he] sees people dedicate to the play is stupendous,” but “seeing the excitement on people’s faces walking into the theater… makes it all worth it.”
Agrawal, who also plays tennis after school, shares that most cast members are “called irregularly to practice” based on their varying extracurricular schedules. Despite this, each day manages to consist of “a good amount of people… who have energy and fun despite a long day at school and sports.”
Being off-book is exciting for performers because they “are allowed to play around with their characters more without worrying about their script[s].” Depending on the troupe size, the play can feature as many actors as needed to take on the 40 distinct roles, allowing for many different and exciting directions to be taken with each new production team. Playwright Tina Howe planned with this in mind, intending to “provide directors and creators with endless staging possibilities” that “serve the versatility of the [many] actors,” according to an interview with CurtainUp.
With the Mary Ellen Caplin Theater closed for renovations until the spring, the play must tackle adapting to the Rosenberg Theater, a black box theater around a quarter of Caplin Theater’s size.
As is customary of a Sidwell play, “Museum” is offering four performances across three days this November, but with the seating slashed to a fraction of the Caplin’s capacity, some wonder if the substitute theater will be able to accommodate all who hope to watch.
Senior and cast member Ellie Rosser shares some plans to mitigate this, which include “inviting more teachers to come to the dress rehearsal,” encouraging students to “buy tickets ahead of time,” and planning for “about 90 people” in the audience per night, with a potential fifth show to be added if necessary.
Aside from entertainment, the cast hopes the audience will find a sense of belonging in the play. Packing so many distinct characters into a one-hour show introduces a lot of new faces, and with them, more personalities to absorb and analyze. “There is such a large variety [of people] that I’m hoping the audience will be able to identify [with] or understand at least one of them,” Agrawal concluded.
“Museum” opens on Nov. 17 and runs through Nov. 19 in the Rosenberg Theater. Tickets are free for students and faculty.
