By Max Morfoot ‘21
In the fall play Diana of Dobson’s, I play Captain Bretherton. He’s a young aristocrat who inherits money from his family and doesn’t work much at all. While throughout most of the play he’s spoiled, and a bit flighty, when he’s made aware of his real character, he tries to become a better person. For a story written in the early 20th century, it's so fascinating to see the ways in which topics like feminism are explored. Being alive during a time like this, I think anyone can get interested in seeing how artists of the past felt, and how much things have changed or stayed the same.
Every day, the cast logs on to Zoom, welcomes each other, and then Mr. Stout addresses any changes he wants us to make as well as what he’s pleased with. From there, we usually run through one of the four acts two times, stopping briefly throughout to re-do some lines and receive notes from Mr. Stout.
In many ways, it feels quite similar to a normal performance. We are still handling props, memorizing lines, and experimenting with accents. And while there’s a disadvantage to not acting face to face, over Zoom we’re still all able to feed off of each other's energy to bring these characters to life.
Even though we’re all virtual, I definitely feel the same camaraderie and support from my cast. We’re all able to joke around and talk with one another from time to time the same way we do backstage or in the Black Box. Everyone always seems engaged and happy to be at rehearsal every day. Mr. Stout has remained a tremendous mentor even via Zoom. His kindness and passion for making this show great make all of us actors and stage managers feel proud of what we’re working towards. Just from this show alone, his feedback and help continue to strengthen my acting. It’s been a pleasure to work with him virtually.
Since freshman year, I’ve done all the plays and musicals at GFA, so of course, I was wanting to participate in this one as well! Yes, Zoom isn’t the same as being in person, but we’ve still been able to accomplish so much using it. While I did have reservations at first, I certainly don’t anymore.
At GFA, the community that theatre creates is very welcoming. Beyond just enjoying working with one another, it feels like everyone is encouraged to be themselves. Our collective dedication to making each show the best it can be always pays off, and it's fun to create a new world with so many others.
Similar to the feeling I’ve gotten before each show in the past, I’m so excited to have all our hard work culminate in this one performance.