On Thursday, October 24 our talented Laguna Beach High School students performed the documentary/horror-style play, Trap, in the Artists Theatre. Over the course of eight weeks, the brilliant cast and crew worked together to create a thrilling, exciting production worth the sight. The play stars Lila Tacklind (10), Mason Bruderer (12), Parker Bryan (9), Arianna Cunningham (11), Catherine Jordan (12), Maris Morgan (12), Joe Joe Lieber (11), and Sam O’Neill (11). With the director work of Meghan Minguez-Marshall, production management by Mitchell Huntley, and stage management by Anna Sandquist, you can only expect excellence!
“This cast is so different from any other cast I have worked with because everybody who is part of the show wants to be here,” stated Marshall. “There is a great sense of community when I would walk into rehearsals.”
In the play, a series of mysterious events unfold in the small town of Menachap, California. Every single person falls unconscious during a play, except one. In order to distinguish what truly occurred, various interviews are conducted utilizing primary and secondary sources. The story ties together with the main ensemble re-telling the events from years past to the present day.
“There are a lot of lighting cues, but the tech crew I’m working with is amazing so we are able to get the production working smoothly and precisely,” said junior and stage manager Anna Sandquist.
The total cast consists of 19 actors and 14 tech crew members, adding up to a total of 33 students involved in the production of the play overall. During the process, the first 2 weeks were reserved for character work/development scene by scene ranging from 2 to 3 hours a day. The large majority of cast members found this addition to the process to be very helpful in relation to finding who their character really was through dissecting their passions, relationships, and other factors utilizing analysis of the script’s text.
“I will definitely take the acting skills and grounding abilities I learned during this show’s character work,” said senior and lead actor Mason Bruderer. It taught me to contrast emotions properly.
Following character development, the ensemble spent a few days rehearsing the specific movement sections, symbolizing their narration of Menachap’s undergoing interviews and phenomena. Senior Catherine Jordan helped as the movement captain to aid the other members through the story. Movement qualities alluding to panic attacks, death, and anguish are done with ease in the end result, showcasing the themes of the play to its truest extent.
“Learning how to communicate under the umbrella of five minds to one body was extremely hard to do, but I ultimately felt proud of the result in the end,” said sophomore and ensemble member Amelie Ford.
Later on, in the process, various members of the cast and crew began transforming the stage into a painted wonderland on dedicated build days. The implementation of this technical element enhances the LBHS theater experience and makes it different from any other production process. For Trap, a group of students came together and painted all the chairs and platforms dark hues, except for the tables, white with accents of bloody hand prints, adding to the mystery of the show. All this work had to be done under a time crunch in order to get the show on the road!
The tech crew was brought in toward the last two weeks to understand where transitions were being made, lighting cues occurred, and sound bits arose. Within their first few days of watching, they joined right backstage to make the show run smoothly and efficiently. Due to the production not needing a very large stage crew, only three people from both sides of the stage-Parmis Seyfnia, Oliver Keller, and Ruby Herzfeld, helped to move items on and off the stage while the rest assisted at the top of the theater or with makeup/costumes.
“Hanging out with the theater kids has been the best part,” replied freshman and stage left assistant Oliver Keller. “[The theater kids] are extremely outgoing and never get boring.”
Lastly, the marketing aspect brought the whole show together, gathering an entranced audience. Juniors Sam O’Neill and Mallory Keller worked in unison to curate an eye-catching trailer, highlighting the key ideas from the production without spoiling too much of the secret. O’Neill and Keller took advantage of the red stage lights from the Green Room and theater to symbolize the danger the characters inevitably face.
“It was so cool to sketch my vision and that has come to life through the trailer,” stated junior and featured actor Sam O’Neill. It truly emulates the essence of the show.
Please come watch the last weekend of LBHS’s production of Trap to support the many hardworking & talented actors, staff, and crew at LBHS! Tickets are available for purchase at gofan.org.
“I hope you walk away with a different understanding of what theater can be!” said Minguez-Marshall.
PLAY SHOWING TIMES
November 1 at 7:00 PM
November 2 at 2:00 & 7:00 PM
November 3 at 2:00 PM
