The PHS advanced acting class has begun practicing for this year’s fall play Marian, which will debut Sep 24 at the PHS amphitheater. The play aims to put a feminist twist on the traditional story of Robinhood but keeps the plotline fresh and new.
“Marian is similar to Robinhood in a lot of ways, but it has been changed up in terms of the gender aspects,” said senior actor Nathan Sturdivant. “It makes it much more interesting and diverse which makes it more fresh than the old Robin story that we’ve seen a thousand times.”
Sturdivant will be playing one of two main roles as Prince John, while the lead role of Marian will be played by senior Charlotte Levy. Sturdivant said the whole class is heavily involved in the production of the show, with positions ranging from the cast to publicity managers.
“Everybody is helping out in some way,” Levy said. “We have people who are costuming us, people grabbing props from backstage, and stage managers assisting with the production.”
As of now, the class is primarily practicing during school hours, with the occasional meeting after school for students involved in more scenes, said Levy.
“Every Monday, we have like two hours of stage combat practice, which is a lot of fun,” Sturdivant said. “Larger speaking actors also have practice after school for specific scenes.”
The play put on by last year’s advanced acting class, Clue on Demand, was rehearsed and performed virtually, Sturdivant said. This year’s class is very excited to begin acting again in a more traditional manner.
“I’m most looking forward to seeing the finished play,” said senior and stage manager Molly McWeeny, “It’s been super fun to block the scenes and work with everyone, so I’m excited to see how it all looks during the performance.”
Shows are at the PHS amphitheater Sept. 24 at 5:00p.m., Sept. 25 at 1:00p.m. and 5:00p.m., and Sept. 26 at 1:00p.m.. Tickets are available online at https://www.showtix4u.com/events/Marian.