This year’s fall play auditions took place on Sept. 25 and 26.
The director of the show and drama teacher Jeff Yarnell and junior Jefferson Harwood, a BV student in last year’s fall play, discussed their previous experiences and what’s different about this year’s show.
“Elephant’s Graveyard” is the true story of a circus that, after a tragic accident occurs, believes the elephant is dangerous and therefore, must be killed.
“There is a sadness about this show,” Yarnell said, “There is something [sad] about the choices that the people have made, knowing it is real life, and knowing that these are things that could have been avoided.”
Last year’s fall play, “Noises Off” was a comedy.
Though there is no specific order for the mainstage productions, for the last few years comedy has been in the fall, and drama has been in the spring.
This year, that order was switched.
“The advantage of doing a drama is that it is perhaps more of a fit as far as how we will be adjudicated for state,” Yarnell said. “This type of show is probably more likely to have success than [the spring comedy] ‘Complete Works of William Shakespeare: Abridged.’”
The drama department has been growing, and, last year, the audiences for “Noises Off” and the spring drama “1984,” grew along with it.
“We’re getting a lot more people to see the shows than we had several years ago,” Yarnell said. “I’m encouraged by the attendance.”
Yarnell said “Elephant’s Graveyard” will be quite different than last year’s drama.
“‘1984’ was a very stylized show, and we were really trying to incorporate an ominous kind of oppressive feel,” Yarnell said. “‘Elephant’s Graveyard’ won’t have that at all, but it has to have some of those touching moments in there.”
Harwood shared his thoughts on this show.
“I am excited for the reaction we are going to get from the audience and the way that the characters on stage will now have the opportunity to express their feelings to the audience,” Harwood said. “We are hoping the audience is going to receive that in a very powerful, very emotional way.”
Both Yarnell and Harwood worked on “Noises Off” along with eight other cast members.
“The production was so much fun to do,” Yarnell said.
Harwood and Yarnell both said they remember a day of rehearsal when Yarnell filled in for one of the cast members who was gone.
“The energy after that day completely changed,” Yarnell said. “I don’t know why, but that was a great rehearsal. I really wanted to be in the show after that.”
If you didn’t get a chance to audition for the fall play, there will be auditions for the comedy, “Complete Works of William Shakespeare: Abridged” in the spring.
“Nerves are the problem that you’ve got to get past — the more you audition, the easier it gets,” Yarnell said.
He also said those who want to audition can come see him in the Black Box theatre, room 718, if they have any questions.
Yarnell said the drama department has been going through a lot of changes this year, but he said he has kept his directing style no matter what show is in progress.
“There is always a dramatic or comedic emphasis for a show, and it depends on the show itself,” Yarnell said. “Whatever the show calls for, you really got to bring that — whether its a comedy or a drama.”
