The show goes on at Valley View
May 20—ARCHBALD — Lights up on the Valley View High School stage. Enter Dominque Ferraro, Ethan Symuleski and Joseph DeSouza, masked.
Friday, the curtain rises on the high school students, portraying characters from the musical "Tuck Everlasting," a production they fought to perform.
"I got together with my friends and I was like, 'we can't let the love of our lives basically die,'" said Dominque. "This is what we love and we needed it."
Last year, the student performance of "Guys and Dolls" was canceled because of the pandemic. It appeared their stage would stay dark this year but the trio — Dominique and Joseph are seniors, and Ethan is a sophomore — spent three weeks meeting over Zoom to come up with a 11-page PowerPoint presentation for district administrators and the school board.
"After realizing the show last year got shut down, it tore me apart and I just didn't want to lose my last opportunity to perform ever at this school," said Joseph.
They researched rules and regulations and discussed whether to do a virtual performance or record a performance of the play and show it at the Circle Drive-In. They even brought in Broadway and soap opera actress Mandy Bruno Bogue, who they've worked with in the past, to get advice on how to safely put on the performance.
Bogue spoke with district administrators and offered her help to figure out the logistics of a theater performance during a pandemic. She stayed on to direct the play.
The students only rehearsed in spaces for 45 minutes at a time, they double masked and kept hand sanitizer on every table. The spaces they occupied were fumigated at night and every prop and costume was cleaned. Bogue and the cast also discussed how their performance could change if restrictions eased or tightened, including social distancing on stage when acting or dancing.
"The kids had to learn a lot of different methods and combinations as this pandemic continued to change shape," said Bogue. "That was what was most incredible for me working with them ... how quickly they would change and how amenable they became."
The students weren't sure if they'd be able to perform in front of an audience, but they figured out a way to do so. For all three performances, the auditorium will be at 50% capacity in compliance with state regulations.
"Not expecting to have a live audience here and ending up with one is pretty fantastic," said Ethan.
"Tuck Everlasting" is based on Natalie Babbitt's children's novel and adapted into a stage musical. It follows the story of 10-year-old Winifred "Winnie" Foster, who runs away into a forest nearby her home in Treegap, New Hampshire, and discovers an immortal family and the spring they drank from that gave them everlasting life.
There's drama and moments of laughter, which the students acting conveyed to their peers Thursday during a dress rehearsal. Soon after the cast took their curtain call and snapped group photos after the dress rehearsal, another group of Valley View student rushed into the auditorium, masked but returning to the normal pace of high school.
"For me, the arts have been in my life forever and ... with COVID and everything, I realized this is my true purpose and not having it was so hard," said Dominique. "It didn't matter if I had to wear a mask, if I had to wear a face shield, I'm just happy that we get to perform."
The district's initial concern with putting on a play was the health and safety of not just the students but the greater Valley View community, said Superintendent Michael Boccella, Ed.D. Administrators and school board were impressed with the students passion, determination and dedication.
"We're really glad that our kids are getting this experience," he said. "At the time where we're getting ready to put on our play, conditions are improving, restrictions are being lifted, the light is really showing at the end of the tunnel."
Tickets for the show will be available at the school one hour before the performances, which are scheduled Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m. in the high school auditorium, 1 Columbus Drive, Archbald. The play will also be live streamed at no cost. For more details, contact the high school at 570-876-4110.
Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114; @kbolusTT on Twitter
