(Left) A longstanding tradition in the theatrical world, the “Gypsy Robe” recognizes a show’s most valuable player—an actor who embodies the energy and spirit of the theater, who leads by example, and is well known as the most supportive and inclusive among a cast. Nominated and voted on by the entire cast, those selected for the award at SHS win the right to add a symbolic item to the robe, representing the related show. The most recent actors to earn the coveted Gypsy Robe were LMS seventh grader Alan Kagiri and SHP freshman Cassie Vaden—in ”a first-ever tied vote,” according to Big Fish director Stacey Ardelean.
(Right) The ensemble cast of Ramshackle Inn in the Black Box Theater in the Campbell Center for Performing Arts. First performed in 1944 at the Royale Theater in New York City, this murder mystery farce follows a spinster librarian who uses her life savings to purchase a “dilapidated hotel near the ocean, which turns out to be haunted by benevolent spirits” (Playbill Vault).
(Left) A tongue-in-cheek tribute to films featuring 1920s gangsters, the Middle School musical Bugsy Malone, Jr. combined an entertaining storyline with charming dance renditions and captivating songs. With just nine weeks between auditions to performance week, the Bugsy cast—under the direction of Rachel Prouty—faced a challenging rehearsal schedule, as the show features more than 10 staged musical numbers and songs.
(Right) The 2014-15 performance season opened at the Prep with the West Coast premier of musical comedy Emma, loosely based on the Jane Austen novel of the same title. “When I found this fresh script, I was amazed at how the author was able to set the musical in contemporary Connecticut, but still keep all the wit and humor of the novel alive. Being only the third group ever to produce this show makes this process special,” said director John Loschmann.
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