However, preparing for the production was not a piece of cake, as student director Aisyah states. She notes that one of the biggest obstacles that she had to face was staying as professional as possible when directing. “One thing about directing is that you have to be strict, while trying not to be mean at the same time. It’s difficult to balance the line between strictness and niceness, mostly because the time we’ve had to prepare for the show is much shorter than last time,” Aisyah preaches. She presses on how hard it is to be nice sometimes, especially when nobody’s listening. “It’s my first time giving the directions instead of being on the receiving end of them!”
Nevertheless, even after the gruelling hours of rehearsals and run-throughs, the thrill of it all far overweighed the exhaustion. Inti, playing the role of Gomez Addams quotes, “It’s been an overly enjoyable experience. Not only do I get to meet new people, I’ve made new friends along the way too.” He shares how this experience wasn’t just fun, but the bonds created between him and his cast-mates would always own a special place in his heart. “I really value how many new people this musical has allowed me to meet. It’s one of the things I’m most grateful for.”
“A privilege to work with a talented cast to put on an amazing show !”
Unbeknownst to many, the cast members faced tough times during the rehearsing process. One of their largest issues were the shortage of male members, which had females getting casted into male roles. A snippet from Renelle, playing the role of Malcolm “Mal” Beineke, tells us how challenging it was to embody her character. “It was quite different from my everyday life. After all, I’m not a man.” She presses how difficult it was to portray her character, a stuffy, cynical, and work-obsessed businessman. “He’s a stereotypical corporate man, definitely not someone I’d see myself in.” Renelle mentioned. She also shares some insight on conflicts within cast members. “It’s bound to happen, I can’t lie. Regardless of that, we all do our best to resolve anything peacefully, with utmost maturity. That’s the most important part of being in a production. It’s the teamwork and collaboration, accompanied by the effort to understand one another.”
Most of all, the members of this year’s production push for more people to join next year’s musical, not just to have fun or to make new friends, but to build character and confidence. “Whether you get ensemble or main cast— it doesn’t matter. Every single character is impactful to the plot, as well as towards the success of the entire show,” Renelle states. “Plus, once you join once, you’ll definitely want to join again!”
“All the memories we made are forever in my heart.”
Phill Kosgei -Phill KosgeiPhill Kosgei -