Student actors perform “The Shahrazad Society” through Zoom
CAPTION: Student actors call into the ACME Theater Zoom reading from around the world.
By Charissa Zeigler,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff-
On March 6, ACME Theater presented “The Shahrazad Society,” a Zoom reading by playwright Ramon Esquivel which featured a cast of six high-school actors. The story follows a group of students who meet to read tales from the Middle Eastern classic, “One Thousand and One Nights,” despite the possibility of being expelled.
The titular character Shahrazad only appears in the students’ retelling after a choreographed sequence depicting the tyrannical actions of the reigning Caliph. Actors popped on and off the screen utilizing silk scarves to demonstrate the vengeful killing of each of the Caliph’s new brides.
The actors tightened the scarves around their necks to represent decapitation and used the placement of their Zoom boxes to synchronize two flame-colored scarves emphasizing the oppression of the Caliph, hell-bent on revenge against a previous wife he perceived as unfaithful.
Set master junior Jackie Wallis had to adapt to a Zoom setting. “You just have to accept that it will not have the same grandeur as it would in person […] For my part, it’s much easier- no saws or drilling- but [the] deliveries to people’s houses are equally as stressful,” Wallis said.
Ultimately, Shahrazad triumphs over the Caliph by telling a new story each night, only promising to finish it if the Caliph would let her live into the dawn. He marries her after she recounts to him the tales that compose “One Thousand and One Nights.”
The actors then retold some of the stories within “One Thousand and One Nights” by transforming into the tales’ characters. Sophomore Ian Bourne played the poor thief Aladdin, adding emotional sincerity to his character in contrast to the brash and power-hungry Mustapha played by sophomore Mattias Rowenbale.
Acting on Zoom required innovation. “I’ve learned a lot about using facial expressions and positioning to assist a scene. Being able to see yourself is a part of that, but […] on Zoom […] you need to over-express to convey tones,” Bourne said.
Sophomore Morgan Hendrix-Chupa plays the mother of Aladdin. They found it challenging to organize a play with actors calling in from different locations, and one actor calling in from the Philippines.
However, Hendrix-Chupa notes, “ACME made a quick and smooth switch over to Zoom, while other theaters may have struggled with deciding between Zoom and in-person shows […] I think it made us more successful during this time.”
