by Justine Chen
Taking place in May each year, the Senior Play is certainly the most important event for seniors during their final year in the department. Produced entirely by students, the Senior Play has earned a reputation for allowing students to show their creativity and ingenuity. Moreover, it gives students a rare opportunity to work more closely with others, and the memories of that incredible experience last a lifetime. But did you know that seniors must spend an entire year preparing for their five-day performance? Unlike the drama contest every spring, which usually takes four or five months to prepare, the scale of the Senior Play is much bigger and needs a lot more time. In early October, students who are interested in directing set out to look for plays they would like to perform, and they often create plays of their own. Traditionally, the Senior Play event consists of one longer English play as well as one or two shorter ones, often in other languages or written by students. For example, in 1998 the seniors presented Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan, accompanied by a student play, How to Learn a Filthy Language in 30 Minutes, as well as an adapted piece called Key to the Elevator. Besides looking for scripts, directors have to meet and discuss which plays they would like to put one, and they also have to find producers (also students) to help with the administration work, fund-raising, promotion, and organizing the crew. In November, after the directors have reached an agreement on which plays to perform, producers must work out a rough budget and set up a production schedule. Even though the seniors receive a subsidy from the department, producers have to find more financial support, often from off-campus sponsors. For this reason a PR team is formed. Indeed putting on a play requires a lot more money than you think. A large proportion of the budget is spent on renting out the theater in the Audio-Visual Center, but money is also needed for the set design, props, costumes, and makeup. Posters and flyers must also be printed. While the PR people are busy making contacts with potential donors, the directors are not idle either. In December, auditions are held. This always attracts lots of people, and talented actors and actresses are often “discovered.” Now the performance really feels like it is going to take place, and everyone begins to work on technical aspects of the play, including staging, costumes, lighting, and sound effects. Usually, the PR team has finished their work before the spring semester begins, and soon, the promotion season begins. Their job is to make the performance as well advertised as possible, both within the university and for the general public. Posters and brightly-colored flags are put everywhere, and a special Senior Play website is formed to keep everyone up-to-date on the big event. There are also advertisements on the radio. Spring break is the busiest time of all. Rehearsals are still going on, but everything has to be finalized in a hurry. If you happen to come across people talking to themselves hurrying from class to class, don’t be surprised if they turn out to be the actors in the upcoming play! This nervousness comes to a peak after in-theater rehearsals start in early May. Everyone involved must devote almost every minute of their free time to making final adjustments. Seniors have now been working together for many months, and everyone is positively bristling with excitement. Want to see the outcome of this amazing six-month preparation? The 2001 Senior Play will take place from May 14th to 19th. Everyone is welcome to see the plays for free. See you then! a
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May 2024
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