The lights dim, and the spare appearance of a barn, with clean lines and a hayloft, where a group of tradespeople have been gathered, is transformed. A soft violet glow sets off a full moon at the horizon and in the center, amid a lush forest, Titania, Queen of the Fairies, begins to dance to Jefferson Airplane's "She Has Funny Cars."
John Jay High School Theater Workshop’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an immersive and entertaining experience that transposes Shakespeare’s comedy to 1967. The show runs November 20 – 22, with performances at 7:00 p.m. plus a 1:00 p.m. Saturday matinee. Tickets are $7. Purchase online or at the door.
Holding the center, orchestrating the music and lighting, people and props, is senior Calvin Wein, stage manager. He sits just off stage left, in front of a control board.
Director Bill Friedman describes him as one of the most resourceful and capable students the school has ever had in the role.
“I lead the crew, manage the cast, put out fires,” said Calvin. He was a key part of the student crew that built the set. He also worked alongside professional lighting and sound technicians to design the show, calling them his mentors. By day, Calvin is a math and physics student and thinking about going into engineering.
The seniors involved in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are a multi-talented group of teens, grounded in theater and with interests as varied as their role in the show.
Head costume designer Bella Brazil has been doing costumes since her freshman year. Her apron’s pockets are filled with the tools of the trade: bobby pins, safety pins, hair ties, mic tape. “I love biology,” said Bella, adding that she is thinking about medical school.
Senior actors Emma Chase, Kaitlyn Domato, Sophia Cheng, Lily Mostero, Violet Oyen and Adina Talenfeld all highlight the community that John Jay’s Theater Workshop has brought to their highs school experience. While they are also on sports teams, volunteer for different programs, dance, sing and are involved in scouts, the students note the deep sense of connectedness that John Jay Theater Workshop has added to their high school experience.
“I’ve met my best friends through theater,” said Emma.
“There’s something so uniquely creative about theater,” Sophia said. “It’s such a privilege to be part of it.”
“This room is home,” said Kaitlyn, looking around the band/orchestra room transformed into a backstage space, where, for the run of the show, she and her friends enter as students and exit as the Bob Hope country club set, hard-hatted working Joes, and Haight-Ashbury Hippies.