The Bishop Amat Theater Program finally had their first performance of the year on Saturday with their presentation of 30 Reasons Not To Be in a Play in the school library after overcoming many setbacks.

“This whole show has been a rollercoaster,” said senior Carmina Garay. “I’m very excited that it finally gets to happen.”

The Theater Program had undergone having their show canceled twice, once when they failed to find a venue and again when their instructor, Ms. Gill, left Bishop Amat less than a month into the school year.

Left without an instructor and a venue to perform their show, there seemed to be little hope for the group of young actors in the drama program, whose numbers were also dwindling.

That was until Mrs. Escovar was able to take over the production and give it the guidance it needed. 

“The students have been working so hard, and really put this whole thing together in four weeks,” said Mrs. Escovar. “I’m really excited and proud of them.”

The dwindling number of students in the production also affected their journey in a few unexpected ways.

“There’s only a little bit of us left,” said freshman Cassandra Cabrera. “But it’s brought us closer together as people, as friends.” 

The lingering effects of the pandemic also impacted the show’s presentation as all audience members had to wear masks, including the actors in their scenes.

The Los Angeles County strongly recommends that people wear masks at private indoor social gatherings with people outside their household unless everyone at the gathering is fully vaccinated. The theater program’s production was no exception.

With the new Performing Arts Center nearing the end of its construction in the next few weeks, the Fall production of 30 Reasons Not to be in a Play will most likely be the first and only play ever to be held in the school library.

The library itself also provided its own set of challenges for the theater program.

The theater crew did an excellent job at adapting their show to accommodate an audience seated 360 degrees around the stage, which was just the center of the library.

The actors, actresses, and crew members utilized wooden platforms to elevate themselves enough for anyone to see, and each speaker did their best to address as many sides of the audience as possible.

However, an attendee of both the 1 pm and 7 pm shows seated in different spots would have totally unique experiences in both, with each actor improvising subtle visual comedy that only those positioned correctly can notice.

The performances in this show spoke volumes, literally, as many running gags and jokes required the actors to really push their vocal limits with dramatic screams and cries. 

The dedication of the theater students was evident in every scene, both in their lines and physical stunts. 

“Even though they didn’t get to perform in a big theater,” said Mrs. Escovar. “They really put on a big production as far as their enthusiasm and how they presented themselves.”

Audiences can look forward to seeing all future productions inside of the new Performing Arts Center as soon as next month.

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