Our Spring Play this year was the wonderfully-written murder mystery Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Simon Stephens. It was chosen because of the exceptional story, the diverse characters, the cool audio/visual technical opportunities, the British accent work, the simplicity of the set, and of course because we felt we needed to close the main stage season with a bit of dramedy.
Bex Derr (cast) did all of the digital artwork used in the marketing materials.
It all originated from sketches they made during the rehearsal period.
This script gives the audience everything they want from a contemporary play, and it only asks that they accept the way it is told...which gets weird and quite magical at times.
The audiences went for the ride with us each night. So much love in the house for the production, we were thrilled everyone liked it so much.
This is how it all happened...
The stage was set when the audience took their seats each night...
This stage picture really got them wondering what was in store for the evening.
THE PRODUCTION
This was our final main stage show in the season and we had already done two auditorium shows before this one. The department was doing really good work this year; our audiences had responded and showed up for both Grease and Dracula in droves.
The Spring play, being staged in the Black Box, limited it's compacity by hundreds in comparison, but not every script is intended for a stage like the auditorium. It is why we installed the Black Box when we had to move out of the South end of the building 5 years ago.
Sam Miller (Ed) and Zayne Smith (Christopher)
The Black Box is great for smaller stories. They can be epic tales, but it is great for smaller stories that need the audience to experience it in a closer proximately. It always helps when you can see the actors faces and really see their expressions up close to sell a story like this one. The audience was feet from the actors at times and they could see the sweat on their foreheads.
Sam Miller, Andi Ziegler and Zayne Smith in a scene that asks the audience
to see multiple spaces and time at once.
The way we designed the show, the actors were isolated in light/color
when in certain parts of the stage.
We picked this play for the Black Box because it was a lesser known title. We wanted to introduce our audience to this book. Right off the bat they are taken on a ride with the main character and it is necessary for them to feel as if they are sitting right beside him in certain moments. The Black Box allows the director to get that feeling in this space.
THE AUDITIONS
We held auditions at the beginning of February right after Dracula closed. They were held in Mrs. Dicken's classroom so that we could have closed readings, a more intimate setting and some private casting table moments with an actor if needed. Their were limited roles available in this show and we had a great turnout for the auditions. Lots of kids had read the book and/or knew the story. Many actors even sat down and read the play beforehand. Some new faces and several students that we had seen perform before. There were cuttings of monologues and scenes used for the two day event, and the actors were given multiple opportunities to try out for different roles in that time.
The flyer posted once the cast was decided
The cast and crew of WG Drama's 2023 Spring Play
"Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" by Simon Stephens and directed by Mrs. Dickens
(Colette G. not pictured here due to illness opening night and thru the run)
The cast and crew got nice weather
and got to circle up outside in the commons to fire up before each performance
THE PRODUCTION DESIGNS
SET DESIGNThe set design was kept very simple and utilized the three platform deck (with steps) that was already set up for our one acts festivals. It was not big enough on its own, but 1st hour Tech Theater helped move it to the North wall and added some additional platforms and ramps. We used the loft steps for part of the show and we moved the sound and light booth the back corner behind the House Left audience. It worked out great.
We added some fabric lined walls that created a grid shape upstage, and a falling paper effect to the wall which framed the projections and absorbed the colors when the lighting hit them
A scene in the second act with Christopher's teacher helping him,
but not actually being there with him
The set concept kept evolving as the play went into the final weeks of rehearsal. Lots of conversation about the play's intentions/meaning and what the audience needed from this set. The pieces were kept to a minimum and we kept everything black and white. We used several stools (short and tall), a steering wheel, a rolling bar unit, a park bench, and a small cafe-style table.
Christopher (Zayne) meets with Siobhan (Andi) several times for guidance.
The projections changed for each location and the animations went with the dialogue
Mrs. Dickens designed all of the slides (there were a lot of them!!!)
and Russ Hoskins ran the slide cues during the show
All of the moving set pieces were all painted black to allow the stage to go to many locations. Simple suggestions to the audience was all that was needed.
Micah McCoy plays the woman who's dog was killed and Parker played the cop who found him
The opening of the play immediately sets us off on a technically audio/visual journey, and the ensemble plays all of the supporting characters as the story unfolds. We practiced a lot of the rapid scene changes that last week before opening. We knew by then how the show was supposed to feel. The cast needed all of the other technical elements working together before we felt we really owned it.
Everything was timed out and rehearsed to get it fast and smooth. (and to hopefully avoid having actors fall off the stage in front of the audience.)
Casey Drillingas plays the policeman
who has to decided whether to book Christopher for a crime
PANTOMIME WORK
Lots of pantomime was used to help in the staging of the scenes in order to add even more theatricality to each moment and to allow the pace to stay aggressive.
Christopher visits a lot of people in the neighbor in his search for the dog's killer...
The rapid fire scenes opened up a lot of opportunity for the ensemble to create very unique characters, sometimes a character might have only one line
All of the actors had to get there pantomime skills down for this show. They were asked to pantomime every door opening and closing, and many of the props that would normally be in a scene. Sometimes foley sound effects would assist.
Luca and Zayne playing a scene in the classroom
The audience saw each location through the physical action work of the actor. This turned out to be rather effective and the audience was briskly moved from one place to the next seamlessly.
THE PROPS
The props in the play were plentiful and we spent a lot of time determining what we needed for each scene and anything that distracted from the story was ultimately removed. Mapping the props and keeping track of who handles the prop, where they come from, and where they leave was a major task.
Mrs. Dickens (Director) and Freya Adkinsson (Stage Manager)
working through staging notes in rehearsal
Mrs. Dickens was trying to make sure the audience was able to stay with this very complicated story. There was a lot of opportunity to go too far with a moment or not go far enough. This was where the cast needed to be flexible and they had to be willing to learn/re-learn and keep going. This group was definitely up the for the challenge. We made changes to the show right up to opening.
It was decided by the director and design team that all of the props and costume pieces that the supporting characters used would be white, and any props that
Christopher had from his bag stayed full color.
Sarah Bailey joined us as the running crew
and was very helpful in getting the last few props organized and tracked after the show.
This work out very well. This strategy kept the eyes of the audience on Christopher. It also created a wonderful element of fantasy throughout the whole play. Nothing was completely "real" ever, and the minimalism of the props and costume pieces actually forced us to push the theatricality of these scenes in other ways.
The moment when Christopher discovers the letters in the house
The non-traditional staging allowed us to create some magical moments for the audience
The actors played the scenes naturally, but we always placed this artificial lens over all of it. This also kept the audience wondering all the way up to the end if it was actually based on a true story. (Spoiler: It wasn't)
Back stage right props and costumes Back stage left props and costumes
The scene breakdown for the actors to use to keep them on track during the show.
They had to know what was next, where to be, and what they needed to move or be brought on stage.
The ensemble did such an amazing job with the scene changes and tracking their stuff.
The dog prop was constructed by Mr. Schaefer and Cat Draney
Cat also made the map of London
THE COSTUMES
The costumes were designed by group effort but with Mrs. Dickens playing a major role in making sure each of the characters arrived on stage for the audience.
Zanye and Colette playing a scene with Ms. Alexander in the park
Ms. Alexander was outfitted with white reading glasses and a white sweater.
(NOTE: Unfortunately Colette didn't get to perform the role for an audience.
She got sick opening night and Andi Ziegler picked up the roles/lines Colette was slated to play.)
The ensemble was kept in a base outfit of black. They would add small pieces that would help push their character. Things like jackets, glasses, sweaters, hats, scarves, aprons, etc.
Teddy Woldow helped by managing the clothing on the rack and managed them through the run.
The rack was labelled and each actor was given a bit of space.
We used the dressing room with make-up tables for this show
Each member of the ensemble also had a red hoodie for one scene.
Andi Ziegler (Siobhan) ready and waiting to go stage
Bex, Sam, Parker and Kaya are ready to go! Casey gives us thumbs up!
Micah is rockin!
Teddy hadn't done any work with costumes before and he did a great job keeping everyone looking good. His duties included checking all of the clothing out at call and checking everything back in after curtain call.
Sam's costume was assembled from stock and some items brought from home
Luca's hat was from stock and we painted it white, he also had a prop walkie talkie for this character
Casey's ticket teller had a white headset and no costume piece
The train luggage car had a revolving door of characters,
Micah's lady worn a nice white cover-up
The two "drunk guys" had a jacket and a vest on when they came on stage
Casey's cop added a badge, Sam also had a leather jacket to wear for Ed's scenes when needed
Judy (Zodiac) and Roger (Casey) were dressed in color
and Christopher (Zayne) wore the same outfit the whole show
The blue T-shirt Christopher wore was the same t-shirt we used to make our show-shirt,
we really loved the blue
HAIR and MAKE-UP
The show was mostly natural, but some lines were used to help push the actors' ages a bit. The ensemble actors had to create a look that worked for the whole story and all of their characters.
Mrs. Dickens worked with Thea Macon to get everyone set on a look and an application schedule during the final dress rehearsals. It ended working out great and the cast was ready to go with time to spare.
Thea Macon working on Zodiac's eyebrows Mrs. Dicken's prep'n for her curtain speech
Russ (Projectionist) and Teddy (Sound Op) paying very close attention to the scene
The Sound Design for the show was done by Mr. Schaefer and numbered cues were put into a file on the laptop. A speaker was placed on top of the loft and threw the sound high in the space.
There was also a live hand held mic near the booth for some foley cues that Parker Collier did and other members of the ensemble performed foley cues from the audience as well. Bex Derr did some beeping for the microwave and the ATM.
Some of the foley cues included door slams,
water dripping, car doors, a slap in the face and more.
Sound cues were ran by Teddy Woldow and he did great with the rapid fire cues. We hung two different sets of windchimes that were used for certain moments as well. Many people hit these when needed.
LIGHTING and PROJECTION
We were very lucky to have James Duckett back for this show and running the board. James has worked on several shows before this one, but nothing compared to the challenge tis one posed. This show was a challenge due to the number of light cues, the speed required to line them up with the action, and the number of sliders to manage manually.
James Duckett (Light Op) on our old, manual, two-scene preset, light board in the Black Box
Every light change was put into the script as a numbered cue and James aligned each cue to a physical map of the sliders with percentages written in the spaces. The light plot we were able to achieve with the set being on the North wall was nice. It gave us a pretty symmetrical hang and the colors came from the far corners. The areas we wanted were achieved for the most part. We always dream big and have to pull back.
It is always safe to have a nice wash of red, blue, and green to use for special moments
The ensemble lifted Christopher and he "space-walked"
The back light hanging position we added on the North wall help illuminate the actors in a halo
The light plot utilized every open dimmer we have in the space. With the upcoming Aud rehab there is a chance the Black Box could inherit the lighting system from the Aud. Next year it is slated to transition to a DMX and LED system (finally going green!). That would provide the Black Box with access to over 60 dimmers compared to the current 16.
We struggle to handle the lighting on shows like this one and any musicals we would like to do in this space. The cues have to come fast and it is difficult on this older manual system.
A lighting tree for the red and green wash, our Tech Booth and the old wooden ladder
The Projectionist (Russ Hoskins), the Sound Op (Teddy Woldow) and the Light Op (James Duckett)
all sat together in the corner behind the audience.
Mrs. Dickens watches one of the final tech rehearsals for changes that still need to be made on any of the slides. We were also fixing last minute staging problems. Freya (SM) stays on book and Russell watches to get familiar with the show order.
Russ Hoskins (Blue shirt) and James Duckett (black shirt) working hard
The placement of the booths in the back corner allowed the crew to watch the show from the front,
talk to each other, and line up the cues. This was a great team and the cues ran smooth
The use of the projector created texture on the actor's bodies as they perform one of the several choreographed movement pieces in the show
Bex, Luca, Micah, Parker and Casey
represent the chaos Christopher experiences in the train station.
These hyper-choreographed moments took a lot of practice
The cast had to count the whole time to stay together with these 3 prerecorded V.O. cues
The light board and dimmer pack system currently in the space originated in the old Little Theater and is most likely from the 1970's/early 80's. It still works great for the plays, but an upgrade is essential as we plan to start doing smaller musicals in the space.
Siobhan (Andi) was lit in blue spotlight when
in flashback or in Christophers head
We were so lucky to have Kade Leatherbarrow back on spot for this show. They had ran follow spot for Grease and the light board for Dracula. This time we put them up on the loft and that way they had a great angle to hit the actors when needed.
Kade still on the floor before we moved the spot light to the top of the loft (15 ft in the air)
The stage was split into 6 acting / separately lit areas
This allowed for us to isolate Christopher in moments of personal thought if needed
Casey does a single line on the steps in a rare break in reality
THE LAST REHEARSALS
Bex, Zayne and Parker working through a cue in the train scene
Puck came in show week for some scene tests
He did GREAT!
Colette and Casey hanging out backstage Bex Derr waiting for their cue
Zayne had a lot to remember and the final rehearsals were exhausting
The ensemble did an amazing job staying focused as the final details got worked out with tech
THE SHOW
Zodiac Ryan (Judy) and Zayne play a scene from Christopher's past
Curious is the 6th main stage show in this space since we installed it about 5 years ago. Each production we have done in there has used the space in such a different way. (We have also produced countless one acts festivals in there as well in that time). It is serving the department well.
We also continue to receive support from the district in furthering the tech needs and necessary updates to make the space even better. It has become a wonderful venue for the students in the drama/tech classes, in the after school program, and for our Webster Groves community audience.
Zayne Smith took on the role of Christopher
The cast did a great job spreading the word about the show. Right before we opened there was some concern we might have to turn people away. We planned on seating 45-65 when we started and budgeted accordingly.
The hallways in the high school all have monitors that allow us to publicize the show
This was the slide that showed for the week of the show.
The goal was to use the department's stock as much as possible, spend very little on wood and paint, make anything we could out of what we had, sell out the house each night, and makes some money for the department.
The show received a very enthusiastic applause each night
The T-shirt Design was created by Freya Adkinsson
It was a huge financial success! We did better than we had planned. We ended up seating over 75 seats each night (with lots of unexpected walk ups), we spent very little on the production other than the necessities to tell the story, it was a smaller team over all, and we had the parents handle the show week food again.
The banner in Senior entrance was just another way to get people talking
This was a nice little financial boost at the end of the year for the department and we continued to illustrate what is possible in that space. Every show we do in the Black Box is so unique and special.
The marquee set up in the Senior entrance to help the audience find their way
We had Mariella Lucear at the Box Office and she did a great job
Tickets were limited and ran $10.00 a person
Parker, James, Luca and Sarah B. hanging on the couch before the show
Sarah Bailey (running crew/handler) was in charge of Puck during the run.
This was a special job, and required Puck to be at his entrance for his cue in the 2nd act
It was Puck's (Mrs. Dicken's new puppy) stage debut!
SHOW PICS
We thank Kaya Wolf (the ECHO) and Mr Schaefer for all of the show pics
The truth hurts Christopher needed rest
The luggage car was perfect for a nap The bathroom scene
Yes! The new puppy
Ed brings in a big surprise at the end
Siobhan and Christopher have many moments of learning together
Siobhan narrates the moment
To take the test... A beach memory
Searching the house for the journal
A letter from Mom
Christopher navigates the travels on his own, but Ed challenges his abilities
Toby goes on the tracks Ed can't stay
Siobhan is all in his head
Christopher takes the A Levels
CURTAIN CALL
The supporting cast
Ed, Siobhan and Judy
Christopher does the A level math problem after curtain call
AWARDS
We have a really cool tradition in the WGHS Theater Department. Every show we produce ends with Awards. We hand out an award and give a verbal acknowledgement to each member of the cast and crew's and talk about their contribution on the production.
Mrs Dickens handed out various trophies, trinkets, candy and all sorts of fun "red" themed awards to the Curious team.
Zayne took home the Thespian Pig and James won the MVT award for best techie
The Parents of the cast did an amazing job with the party food and bev.
They got us a cookie cake, and Zayne's Grandma even made a 100 homemade cookies for us!
The party is always a great way to feel some closure to a project like this...
The cast and crew sign show shirts with sharpies, eat lots of food and load up on pics
Sam had a great time working on his first show and says he'll be back for more!
Casey, Kade and Andi taking it all in after the awards
Micah signs Thea's Show Shirt
**********************************
Sam and Kaya
say
"GO SEE A PLAY!!!"
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