An Inside Look On The Fall Play “Love…No Barriers”
Greater Latrobe Senior High School has been needing expression, creativity, and theatre. It all started with last school year. Right before the debut of “Mama Mia” the school closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Performers were devastated because it felt like their hard work was going down the drain.
Practice after practice and their close friends and family would be limited down to almost no one. It was not fair, they deserved to share their talent with the community around them. The unwanted complications with the virus have creeped into this fall.
Over the long break Mrs. Allison Duda, director, and her husband Mr. Jeff Duda, English teacher discussed the issues, hoping to have a performance of their annual fall play. The COVID-19 protocol affected many factors.
It was difficult to figure out how to do something so interactive, while still staying separated. Sadly not as many performers will be on stage, and it has been limited down to two through three students per scene for 11 different skits. They found this option to be viable with the unique aspect of filming. Of course masks are always possible, but the muffled, quiet mask voice just would not pick up well. Enforcing social distancing throughout the school, actors will be staying six feet apart.
The theatre crew used ingenuity and perspective to persist. Instead of cramming hundreds of students into the auditorium, shoulders touching, germs spreading, the play will be streamed.
Being able to stream a play is rare, and few property owners will allow a high school to perform. Due to all the scenes being written the Dudas, it was able to happen.
Camera men came into the school and the auditorium was beyond quiet while filming. Lights, camera, action, and complete silence while the actors perform. Being able to get a look behind the scenes October 28 each player put in the hard work
. It was refreshing seeing students and staff safely come together during the filming process. Stage crew hustled, the camera was perfectly placed, and the lines were read flawlessly.
“Love, no barriers,” is a look into life with the complications of the virus. Work, school, relationships, all of your favorite activities have been affected. All of those stressful obstacles put into a show, captured by a camera. The world has most definitely changed, and everyone needs a reminder that we are all in this together. It will be relatable, and though we all have our own personal struggles, this will connect us and show us similar we all actually are.
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Mia is a Sophomore at Greater Latrobe Senior High School. She has always had a passion for writing, and is excited to express that in Multimedia Journalism...
