Dinner Theatre
Behind the Scenes with Fantastical Friends
The week of April 15, 2012, was a very hectic week for the sophomore class as they presented Fantastical Friends performances on Thursday and Saturday evenings. Mrs. Cris Brunson and Mrs. Sherri Hohneisen had gone beyond the call of duty, working with the students for nine weeks, coordinating various costume and makeup details, and much more, but there were still needs that needed to be met. Many faithful people came together to decorate the set and tables, assist Ms. Margie Grubb and her kitchen staff cook the delicious dinner, and fill in various last minute details essential to the production of the play and for the ATAP Dinner Theatre
Fantastical Friends was one of the most elaborate productions in Faith Christian history, comprising scenes from nine classic stories. The play had over 40 characters, so students were playing the roles of multiple characters, meaning make-up and costume changes were going on throughout the whole play. One student, Kersten King, even had to change her costume and be back out on the stage in less than 30 seconds for her next scene. The diversity of the plays, from Alice in Wonderland to Dracula, called for drastic set changes after each scene. Each of the sophomores was assigned a specific job to change the set after each scene, and together, with everyone’s help, the stage was ready each time for the opening scene, in spite of the fact that the first performance was the first time the sophomores entered into the changing of the scenes.
This play had many unique aspects in that, instead of the usual one prop table backstage, nine prop boxes were used, one for each story. There were also 71 sound cues, while the usual number is normally only 30 to 40. As usual unplanned happenings added to the excitement of the production. Director Sherri Hohneisen remembered, “The sound had a flutter in it due to a faulty microphone, so we had to find the bad mic and turn it off, enabling the sound to be restored. The actors had to adjust to the sound difficulties and project their voices to enable the audience to hear.” She continued, “That’s theater though. The actors are ‘flying by the seats of their pants—without a net. They have to adjust at the drop of a hat.”
One of the big concerns for the ATAP night was if there would be enough room to hold all of the guests due to the large size of the sophomore class. Thursday evening’s debut had a remarkable crowd, and through a series of events and the Lord’s provision, nearly 250 guests were served on Saturday night.
Even though the sophomores found the play stressful, it was an exciting time of great memories they will cherish for a lifetime. There acting skills were sharpened as they became their characters and used eight months of preparation of public speaking and acting. Looking back, the class treasures the opportunity to do the play and was grateful for all they learned.
Acting in an excerpt from Little Women, sophomore Victoria Langley said, “I learned that the play is not just the actors and the acting; it’s also all the behind the scenes set and costume changes that make the night memorable as well.
By Sarah Bertrand and Victoria Langley, FCS Journalism staff
Click here to view 2012 Sophomore Play photos.