‘Noises Off,’ the school’s first play to feature all four grades, opens Thursday
By Jessica Ercolino, Staff Writer
ROBBINSVILLE Students in the Robbinsville High School’s theater group, the Ravens Players, are hoping to make some noise with this year’s fall drama production, despite what the show’s title may say.”Noises Off,” a play by Tony award-winning author Michael Frayn, opens tonight, Thursday, at the high school. The show is the Ravens Players’ first (of the four the school has done) to feature a cast and crew of freshman through seniors.
It’s also the funniest show the high school has ever presented, according to the students.
”It’s hysterical,” said Christina Muscianesi, the show’s student assistant manager. “It’s the first show that I’ve been a part of where, after spending so much time working on it and seeing it a million times, I am still laughing during rehearsal.”
”Noises Off” is most easily described as a play within a play. A majority of the cast play two roles: a character in “Nothing On,” as well as that character’s off-stage persona entering and exiting the stage during the show’s final rehearsal and tour. The result: chaos and comedy.
As circuitous as the plot may initially seem, playing a part in “Noises Off” can be even more daunting.
”It’s challenging because you can’t be yourself playing Roger, you have to be Garry playing Roger,” said sophomore Danny Argese about his role.
Most of the characters in “Nothing On” play roles completely contradictory to their off-stage persona. Danny explained that his on-stage character, Roger, is nervous and unsure, while Garry, the actor, is quite full of himself.
DeMan Edmonson, a senior who plays Frederick (playing Phillip) also found the role challenging.
”It’s hard because you’re constantly switching personalities,” he said. “One minute I’m crying in the corner, and the next I’m acting all macho.”
Paul McGlew is the only freshman in the show. He said he has been involved in community theater for many years, but this is his first show with the Ravens Players.
”It’s been pretty cool,” he said. “The second act is tough, but I’m not nervous.”
In fact, as difficult a play as “Noises Off” can be, not one student had expressed the slightest bit of nerves up to a week before opening night.
”My character gets stressed out easily, but that’s not really me,” said senior Jeet Joglekar, who portrays the play’s director, Lloyd. “I miss getting nervous.”
For the four seniors in the cast and five in the crew, the fleeting theater minutes are bittersweet.
”We’ve practically built this drama program from the ground up. It’s been a long ride,” said Katrina Pallop, a senior who has appeared in every show since her freshman year. “It’s hard to believe after all these years there’s going to be a show that I won’t be a part of, but it’s time to step down.”
Kind of. Katrina said she intends to double major in playwriting and dramatic critique in college.
Several of the other seniors plan to continue with theater next year as well. Jeet said he intends to major in business and engineering, but a good theater program is essential to his college search.
”I’ll always be doing theater,” he said. “It’s a part of me now.”
Ana Diraldo, a senior who plays Brooke (and Vicky), has also been participating in the Ravens Players since her freshman year. She credits the show’s director, Allison Sussman, a theater and English teacher at RHS, for getting her involved with theater early in her high school career.
”I’m really kind of self-conscious,” Ana said. “If it weren’t for (Ms.) Sussman, I wouldn’t be doing this. She’s really become a mentor to me.”
Ms. Sussman, who attended Drew University for theater and English and spent a year at the University of Connecticut for graduate studies, said her experience with the Ravens Players has been very rewarding.
”It’s a great dynamic, watching the older students stepping up and becoming leaders,” she said. “I’ve been doing less and less every year on set design and costume because the kids are taking charge, which allows me to focus more on directing.”
Ms. Sussman praised the students for taking on such a challenging show, and especially acknowledged the dedication of the students working backstage. She said this is the first show where both the set designer and costume manager have been students.
Junior Ashley Petix said a theater design class she took last year led to her role as set designer.
”It was a very interesting learning process,” she said. “Here I am teaching people things I barely know I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Despite her lack of experience, the design and construction of the set came together seamlessly, according to Ashley.
”When I saw (the set), I thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s my paper, except bigger,” she said. “It was exactly like I imagined.”
Last year, the Ravens Players received a number of awards at theater festivals in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The acting troop now performs four full-scale performances during the year a fall drama, spring musical and winter and spring festivals of one-act pieces written and directed by RHS students.
No matter their grade, both cast and crew are excited to show audiences what “Noises Off” is all about.
”All of the shows we’ve done up to this point have been for us, as actors, to learn and improve our skills,” said Ana. “This show is a comedy and it’s meant to entertain. It’s a hard show, but it’s for the sake of the audience.”
“Noises Off” runs from Nov. 15-17 and begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, which are $8 for students and seniors and $10 for adults, can be purchased at the door on performance nights.

