Despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing the shut-down of schools in mid March of 2020, the Drama Department had persisted through the challenges of quarantine. This year, they plan on producing two virtual play productions.

Last year, Cinderella had been scheduled to run in late March/early April of last year, but mandatory restrictions had put a temporary and immediate pause on the production of the musical, leaving many students and staff in the Drama Department questioning how the show would be shown to an audience.

The decision was made for the musical to be broadcasted over a live-stream which was accessible to all students, staff, and family.

Senior Sasha Davis has participated in numerous plays and musicals through her almost four years at the high school, and along with many of her fellow students, had to make difficult adjustments into what the new environment for theater would look like.

“The most difficult part of it all was not being able to be with each other in person because we are such a family. We’re like our own community,” Davis said.

The high school plans on following a similar route with the upcoming productions of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and Tartuffe by Moliere.

The Importance of Being Earnest follows an abundant array of bizarre but beloved characters, primarily two men who create alter egos for themselves to escape their dull lives.

Tartuffe tells a comedic story of hypocrisy in a Parisian home through the observation of a wanderer named Tartuffe. Both productions will be available for virtual viewing; however, the play will be recorded virtually differing from the staged productions many are familiar with seeing.

Advisers English teachers Catherine Strycharz and Michael Gagnon plan on remaining COVID-19-friendly while creating a personal experience for the cast and their family members.

“Our plan right now is to have actors and their families attend a private, socially distanced screening of the performance in the auditorium. Then, yes — we do intend to upload it to the district website for all to see,” Strycharz said.

The Importance of Being Earnest is projected to be available for viewing in early April; Tartuffe is projected to be available in early June.