As anyone who’s ever been in theater is aware, the thespian lifestyle is both an entertaining and a stressful one. From the first script read-through to the panic of tech week to the final curtain call on closing night, acting is a hectic experience whether you’re cast in the lead role or the understudy to the stagehands. But sometimes things go even worse than, say, a spotlight being misplaced or a monologue being improvised by a forgetful actor, and that sort of situation is exactly what this year’s fall play, The Actor’s Nightmare, is all about.
The Actor’s Nightmare is about, as the name would imply, nightmares of the type that would terrify any experienced thespian: waking up moments before a play begins with no memory of learning it, being told it’s time to go for a major audition that wasn’t expected for months, and even getting the lead part of a famous performance only to realize that the director’s interpretation is absolutely absurd… and quickly approaching. The scenarios approach surrealism at some points, which is fitting of the sour dreams they’re part of, but it’s not difficult to follow along – in fact, the play makes a nice little evening trip. Clocking in at around half an hour, it is perhaps the shortest performance to be held on the JHS stage. For people who want something that’s entertaining but won’t take an entire evening, The Actor’s Nightmare is an ideal show.
This year, the director is JHS German teacher Lynnette “Frau” Cervi, who also directed last year’s extremely successful High Schooler’s Guide to the Galaxy, with senior Chelsea Achord acting as student director. Performances are on Thursday, December 5 through Saturday, December 7, beginning at 7:30 p.m. each night. Tickets are $5.00 at the door. If you plan on attending, then be ready for a strange, theatrical, and rubber ducky-filled performance!