Ila Bumagin, Junior
Never once did I imagine going to a theater competition and having a crumpet thrown at me. But that’s exactly the beauty of theater – expect the unexpected, and accept the absurd.
Marblehead High School’s Drama Department put on a production of Beowulf this weekend at METG, or DramaFest, which is a competition for high school plays, and an all weekend affair. After months of rehearsing, everything came together for what we thought was our final production. But little did we know Beowulf would advance to semifinals.
Drama students all across the state prepare for DramaFest. It’s not just a competition to win, but rather a competition to entertain. Each group has a chance to win “best set,” “best lighting,” “best stage manager,” “best acting,” and countless other awards. Yes, the goal is to impress the judges, but also to impress the audience. And impress us they did! Each new group that set up (every production has five minutes to put up their set) raised the bar ever higher – all the way to the last show when Lynn English High School raised a circus tent on stage.
Get stoked – another winning production was Dracula. After watching Georgetown’s incredible version of the classic story, I was inspired. Both Dracula and Crumpet, as performed by the Boston Latin School, pushed all the limits. The lighting was wacky (lightboxes on the side of the stage, lights powered by an onstage bike), the sound effects were handmade, and the acting was unnerving. To watch other highschoolers have so much creative fun,to be so driven to put on a production of that caliber, means so much. After eight hours of theater, I could be bored. Instead, I’m left wanting more. I’m left wanting a chance to do more and impress my peers.
But the most important part of Fest is not actually the theater. I mean, it is. What really stands out, though, are the traditions. Before a new playstarts, the MCs read “the rules.” Everyone must raise their arms up while a rule is recited, and clap after the rule is finished. By the end of the list, we are clapping in perfect unison. Then the MCs say “Now… we wait.” This is the wait for the three judges to enter the theater, while everyone is sitting in darkness. They walk in quietly, looming over us. And then the show can begin.
After all shows have been performed, the actors/crew have time to mingle – there’s pizza for dinner, and usually a dance party breaks out. We swap stories of rehearsals gone wrong, ideas for set designs, compliments for every aspect of the plays, and Instagram usernames so we can stay in touch. The energy in the small cafeteria is soaring, everyone high on post-show feelings, hope for the awards ceremony, and new friendships being formed. There isn’t anything like it.
After a good party, all the actors and crew file into the auditorium, and the award ceremony begins. Everyonecheers and screams for their fellow actors. And when the winning plays are announced, it’s electric. There are tears, hugs, cheering, and a lot of jumping around. The feeling of being around so many people like you is indescribable. Each of the participants knows what it means to be there – the dedication of the group as a whole, and the effort and uniqueness of an individual. The emotion and creativity and humor that can only come from theater shines all day, and sparks in each and every one of us. We are brought together by the love of theater, and with that and a little absurdity, we can do anything.