Gryphon Gazette, Issue 6, 2015-16

Page 1

The

Gryphon Gazette

May 2016

The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School

• Volume XIV, Issue VI

Under the Lights What it’s like to be a thespian at St. George’s Caroline Zummach ’18

H

ave you ever wondered what it’s like to stand under the lights as an audience watches you act out a part that you have never rehearsed before? Well, that’s exactly what junior Elle Vaughn had to do on April 30, the last performance of the upper school spring comedy, “Fools.” Vaughn, the play’s stage manager, had to fill in for senior Ellie Babb after she had to leave for an emergency. This would be Babb’s last performance with St. George’s, and this was the show Vaughn’s parents were attending. Her parents were met with shock when they saw their daughter on stage. “I couldn’t pull off the type of persona that Ellie can pull off, but I heard Mr. McGraw laughing, so that’s good,” Vaughn said. In almost all other cases, a student begins the show process months before the performances, not an hour before. When a student at St. George’s decides to become involved with a production, they must first express their

interest and audition. When auditioning, a student must read parts from a script in front of the director. Freshman Will Brown is a first-time actor and played Gregor Youskevitch in “Fools,” one of the love interests for the lead female role. “[I was] kind of nervous but okay,” Brown said of the audition process. “It was a small group of people.” After auditioning, the actors rehearse for several weeks until dress rehearsals, where they run through the show once or twice a night with full lights, sound, makeup and costumes. The production is put on for three days, and students, teachers and the greater community are invited and encouraged to attend. Sutton Hewitt, a participant in five past plays here at St. George’s including “Fools,” suffers from minor stage fright, but knows that her hard work pays off in the end. “What keeps me going is you get such an adrenaline rush when you are done, and you walk out and take your bow,” Hewitt said. “It’s the best feeling in the

world.” However, actors like Hewitt are not the only ones involved in the play, as there are makeup and costume designers and a full tech staff. Sophomore Margo Valadie joined the sound team during her freshman year and has been producing the behind-the-scenes elements for four productions now. While she enjoys producing the sound, she knows there is immense pressure to get it right. “If you mess up sounds, it’s really noticeable,” she said. During “Bye Bye Birdie,” the fire alarm was set off and Valadie panicked, thinking that she had somehow set off the loud sound. The actors and crew seem to agree that there is more of a reward than just the applause during curtain call. For them, the relationships formed in theater are ones that last forever, and they suggest acting to all students. “I’ve never found it scary or intimidating,” Hewitt said. “I always encourage people to come out and go for it.”

Photo: Caroline Zummach ’18 A student performs on the stage at the Germantown Campus, home of the theater productions of St. George’s, in this posed photo. The Gryphon Gazette went behind the scenes discover what it is like to be in a show at SGIS.

Class of

2016

Senior Wills

Sydney Spadafora: Year-round tan to Lathan Spadafora. Graham Hawthorne: The curl rack to whoever proves themselves worthy. Courtney Tipton: The unsuccessful pursuit of the SGIS geotag (good luck) to Hannah Kate McDowell. Adam Cruthirds: St. Jude Club to Kneeland Gammill. Jared Whitaker: Being Mormon to Cannon Faultz. Will Courtney: Being head of the Bleacher Creatures to John Carter Hawkins. Stephen East: The right to wear a hat into school every morning to Griffin Gillam. Karina Jensen: “Carrying-on” my legacy of always carrying a foam roller to soccer games and practices to Eva Neel. Eric Matula: My knock-down, three-point shooting ability to Johnathan McNeill. My golden ping pong paddle to Graham Sisson. Sophia Quesada: The trail mix I keep in my locker for emergencies to Anna Besh. Donovan Borum: The gift of dab to Fe Novoa. Reese Holmes: Being Colin Truitt’s #1 critic to Nick Bordeau. Claire McCord: My tennis skills to Sidney Marr and Hannah Grace Howell. Mac McGuffee: A hundred dollar bill located in one of the books in the library to any St. George’s student. If you find it, it is yours.

Follow your SENIORS IN PRINT

• Senior athletes pass the torch to underclassmen (p. 4) • Class of 2016 profile (p.12)

ON THE WEB • MORE Senior wills • MORE Senior athletes pass the torch • Interactive senior college map

• Graduating “with distinction” isn’t what • Senior art gift you think (p.10) • Senior t-shirt day • 14 things to do slideshow before you graduate (p.9) • Long time no see, mini me (p. 11)


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Gryphon Gazette, Issue 6, 2015-16 by The Lodge - Issuu