This year has been different, to say the least. Theatre is an art form that thrives on social and physical connection, and our current restrictions have caused theatre artists to significantly reimagine how we can still do what we love. If you saw our high school premiere of The Hello Girls last year, or any of our previous productions, you’ll notice that this year’s script is a departure from our usual fare. In the spirit of 2020, neither the students nor I were up to tackling the issues and themes we might normally explore in another year. We wanted to laugh and have fun, and we wanted that for the audience, too. We swapped interesting, dimensional character arcs for stock characters and embraced the challenges of creating the physicality and playing the comedy of those characters. The students found ways to express emotions through their bodies rather than their faces and to make our no-contact restrictions part of the humor of the show.
We filmed at the Waynesboro Players warehouse, with no microphones other than those attached to the cameras. We embraced a minimalist approach to our technical elements, including costumes made from sheets by two senior students.
I am so proud of the students’ open minds and positive attitudes throughout this process. They became a creative and supportive ensemble, and their love of each other and what they do shows in this performance. So, before you ask: No, this isn’t The Hello Girls. It’s The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza (COVID-edition). We hope it brightens your day, or maybe even your year.
