School Plays

It wasn’t long ago that my partner and I went to see a local high school production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with some friends. Sets were great. Costumes were beautiful. They even had excellent lighting and effects. And the theater rivaled that of professionals, complete with comfortable seating and perfect viewing from anywhere. However, what I noticed was missing from this was sound. Now, I know that I have a hearing problem. My ears can pick up about 50% what normal ears can hear, but I’ve made due with that, and honestly it can be quite humorous when I misinterpret what someone says.

I could count four of the actors who spoke clearly and from their diaphragm so the audience could hear them. And, even if I discount my obvious handicap, the people we were sitting with had trouble understanding most of the cast as well, not to mention those who fell asleep during the show, probably thinking that this was the longest intermission in history. But the part that really irked me was that there were microphones above the stage and speakers in the auditorium, and they weren’t being used. It seems a simple fix for the director to decide that since his cast can’t orate loud enough, to just turn on the microphones. The speakers were being used for background music before the show, during intermission, and in a few places within the play, so the excuse of not having a “sound guy” is out.

So what gives? Let’s ponder that while I bring in my next observation.

My partner has been volunteering his time to help out with another school’s upcoming production. They will not have elaborate sets, costumes or effects, and probably will not have sound amplification either. It won’t even be in a theater or auditorium because this school doesn’t have one. It will be in the commons area of the school with foldout or plastic chairs for the audience.

The difference between these two schools is simple: Money. The first school is new and the students mostly come from well-off families, whereas the second school is much older and in need of being replaced, but is in an under-funded district. So I suppose the real question I have is why is the education of the rich more important than the education of the poor? I’m not even going to pretend to try and answer this, I just wanted to pose the question.

So anyway, back to the production my partner is helping with. They are doing two short plays, and in one of them, a character is a puppet because, ironically written in the play, they couldn’t afford another actor, so the Queen plays herself and the King as a puppet. Being that this is a low value production, they were just using a sock puppet, and my partner, being the person he is, asked if they needed a puppet, and offered for me to make one. And so, with a broken sewing machine, I hand sewed over the weekend the King puppet for the play. And I know that my offer will be much more appreciated at the school that has little, than it would have been at the school that has plenty. And because of that, I’m looking forward to these bare-bones plays and already know that I will enjoy them more than the all-out play for the simple reason that these kids will have to actually work to put on a show, not fall back on everything they have been given.

P.S. - Yes, I realize this post is scattered. Deal with it.