Portage High School is set to host their annual fall play November 12 through 14. This year, the thespians have chosen to feature a play called Geek! by Crystal Skillman.
Mahaffa Thompson is the sponsor of the thespians at Portage High School and is excited for the show’s upcoming debut, especially after a tumultuous year and a half of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It's just good to finally be back and actually see their faces,” said Thompson. “We're together; we're creating art. It's just difficult because they've had this whole year of minimal interaction with people, so there are little bumps along the way. I think that they're all adjusting really well, though.”
Beyond the challenge of putting together a show after a difficult year, the Portage thespians are challenging themselves on stage.
“We have done so many new things that we have not done before. We have a lot of stage combat, which is pretty cool. The kids enjoyed learning that. We've also just reached into the medium of projection, which is a relatively new player in this theater game. We've added film elements to the production as well. The costumes are ridiculous, but fun,” said Thompson.
The students are expanding their on-stage skills while simultaneously using their art to highlight difficult topics through the script.
“The whole point of the show, and it's one of Honey’s lines, is that we all have choices. This show especially deals with the idea that sometimes we don't understand why people choose the things that they do. That's why it's important to have friends and the things that you love, so that you can remember kind of why you exist,” said Thomspon.
Liam Craven, Stage Manager for the production of Geek!, President of the Thespians club, and senior at Portage High School, invites audiences to a show about friends, geeks, and grief.
“The show is really good for people who would consider themselves geeks or nerds. If they're really into pop culture, there's a lot of references in this show. It touches on the subject of suicide and bullying, so if those are things that have affected your life, this could be a good show to come see,” said Craven.
In the midst of dress rehearsals, Thompson and Craven fondly look back on the preparation for the fall production.
“I really enjoyed getting to know all the new freshmen, sophomores, and everyone else who weren’t a part of the program before. I loved getting to know them, helping them through this show, teaching them everything, and getting to be the big senior like I looked up to my freshman year,” said Craven.
Thompson is proud of everything her students have accomplished this year.
“They've worked hard, and they're a good group. The show is going to be really good,” said Thompson.
Interested in seeing the show? Portage High School will host two live showings Friday, November 12 and Saturday, November 13 at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the thespians will also feature a virtual showing, and viewers can choose to watch the recording at any time on Sunday. Tickets are $6.
Preorder tickets to either live show or purchase virtual tickets at https://portagethespians.ludus.com/index.php