Can the Jemicy thespians pull off a classic who-done-it in a world overshadowed by COVID?
The Jemicy School has another play in the works, Clue, which will go on despite restrictions due to the virus. The Moose are finding a way to get work done, but how will this play work?
The classic stage play was first performed in 1995. Since the coronavirus has taken over the world, Jemicy has come up with different ways to put on a play. The show will hold at 25% capacity so around 75 people in the theater.
Theater Department head Sean Elias needs to strike a balance in play between in person actors and audience and virtual participants.
“This was a really big challenge and I think we’ve come up with a great way to incorporate both live actors and actors who are participating virtually. I really wanted to shy away from simply incorporating technology because we had to and I wanted to avoid anachronisms since the play takes place in 1954 and clearly Zoom had not yet been invented, said Elias.”
Balancing the setting of the play, 1954, with Google Meet is a challenge, but Elias has a solution.
“We came up with a design concept that allows us the flexibility we need as it pertains to integrating technology and still being able to honor both the original time setting of 1954 and the Victorian themes inherent in the text. We’re going to be producing a steampunk version of the piece.”
But what exactly is steampunk?
“Steampunk is a popular subgenre of sci-fi that mixes 19th century Victorian with a futuristic industrial feel, even sometimes incorporating fashion from the Civil War era. So for example, Gabie Robinson plays Yvette the maid, but is also a virtual student. Gabie will voice the role and a live actor will puppet a steampunk robot version of Yvette inside a Victorian mansion,” said Elias.
Robinson ‘21 thinks that playing a virtual character is “amazing.”
“I will be voicing over someone on stage, and they will basically play a robot version of myself. I have the artistic freedom to create what I want to create from home,” Robinson said.
According to Elias, they have a flexible opening date of late January. Due to the COVID-19, the play will be practiced during performing arts classes. After school activities are not allowed at Jemicy currently so all work for the play will take place during the school day.
Elias is finding a way to work around the pandemic, and even going a little old school. It’ll be interesting to see how the first Jemicy play during COVID-19 pans out.
MOOSE PRINTS 
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