Debut of Original Play Written for PHS Students

Joseph Welch ‘16 and Frances Gross ‘18

Providence Debuts a Play Written for PHS Drama Students

By: Suzie Soghoyan ‘13

Not everY ScHool can SaY tHeY’re Having tHe world premiere of a play as their fall production. On November 13th, a coming-of-age story, Lily the Glitch, made its world debut at PHS’s very own theatre in the round. With a sold out house, students of Providence High Arts Drama took the stage and presented the audience this fantasy, comedy, murder-mystery, adventure of a show which was specifically inspired by and written for them.

With the leading role double cast between Emily Ervolina ‘17, and Frances Gross ‘18, there was a different show each night. However, the riveting excitement of the show was steady through the whole run. The play itself is set inside the mind of Lily, a 15-year-old girl who is coming to terms with the world and who she is in it. She’s confused and caught off guard by the voices in her head and the directions they’re leading her. Being on stage the whole time, Lily takes the audience to a number of places; the beach, her dad’s house, a public detective’s office, a fencing competition, and even a yacht. It’s an understatement to say the audience had fun. Lily the Glitch was interactive with the crowd, using the aisles and rows and breaking the fourth wall. During set changes, the audience was still entertained with what seemed to be dream sequences portrayed by four fencers. Each character who was present in reality had a subconscious shadow that Lily could see. For instance, Dr. Mitzi, Lily’s neurotic psychiatrist, had a flashy Italian woman following her and blurting out her true thoughts. The glitch referred to in the title is Lily’s ability to actually hear, not only her own voices, but the voices in other people’s heads. The climax of the story reaches its peak when Lily’s step-father is mysteriously murdered while running on the beach. From then, a whole load of adventures begin to unfold as Lily tries to clear her brother’s name of the crime. Both casts were equally brilliant while being so different.

Director Jeremy Kent Jackson, and producer Dominic Catrambone, brought on board Christopher Piehler, playwright and stand-up comedian, to create a show with all of the ideas and concepts our students wanted to portray on stage. Surveys and questionnaires were handed out to the young actors in order to make sense of what direction to take the show.

“They dumped a whole bunch of stuff on us, from shadow puppetry to murder-mystery to ‘I want to play a character who dies on stage’,” said Jackson as he reflected back on the beginning stages of the production. When asked what it was like to direct a world premier show Jackson noted that it was “intimidating, to say the

Back row: Sophie Collins ‘18 and Alissa Goretsky ‘18; front row: Alexandra Power ‘17 and Emily Ervolina ‘17

least.” Keeping balance between the standards of excellence the students possess and honoring the playwright was a specific task Jackson kept in mind throughout the process.

Luckily, Piehler was close by the whole time. Present at most rehearsals and dedicated throughout all of tech week, he’d been writing and rewriting lines until just a week before opening night. He wrote a play based completely off of what the students wanted to portray on stage. To create a show from scratch is one thing, but to write one with a storyline given to you by more than a dozen teenagers is definitely a challenge. Piehler said the key to being successful at doing so was “listening to these kids and hearing what they’re dealing with.”

At the end of the day this story is about a 15-year-old girl who’s not sure of anything, except the fact that she has fencing practice in the afternoon. This play must speak true to so many teenagers who are constantly battling with temptations and passions.

Emily Ervolina ‘17, being the “seasoned pro,” was a natural on stage. Having a great amount of on-stage experience under her belt, she did a fantastic job at developing the character of Lily into what she envisioned her to be. Frances Gross ‘18 was taken aback when she saw she was cast as the lead. Unbelievably, this was one of Gross’s first opportunites to perform on stage. Both portrayals were honest and beautifully executed.

This delightful production has left the audience in anticipation, once again, for what is to come in the spring. Stay tuned for Seussical the Musical!

Rose Escolano ‘17 and Nicole Montellano ‘18

wHile a Student at PHS, Suzie waS involved witH tHe drama dePartment, acting in numerouS Stage ProductionS. SHe currentlY workS Part-time in tHe advancement dePartment wHile alSo attending ScHool.