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ROBBINSVILLE: To Ravens, ‘play’s the thing’

The high school Raven Players presented its rendition of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” sending audience members back into time Nov. 14-16 at the auditorium.

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
   ROBBINSVILLE — The high school Raven Players presented its rendition of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” sending audience members back into time Nov. 14-16 at the auditorium.
   It is the school’s 10th fall play.
   The production starred Victoria Septien as Rosalind and Jimmy Kenna as Orlando.
   The play was believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600, but the directors chose to recreate it in a more modern era.
   ”As we tried to determine in which time period we wanted to set our production, (Brent) Rivers and I were drawn to the early 1960s,”said Alison Sussman, a teacher and the play’s director, in an email. “The popular television show, ‘Mad Men,’ peopled with relatable characters steeped in the world of advertising and corrupted materialism was our inspiration.”
   According to Ms. Sussman, every four years, the Raven Players produce a play by William Shakespeare.
   According to the director’s note, the pastoral comedy includes a “host of over-the-top characters from two different worlds.”
   In the play, Duke Senior, played by Alex Reitter, has been forced into exile from the court by the usurping Duke Frederick, played by Jeremy Wall. He takes refuge in the Forest of Arden with a band of faithful lords. His daughter, Rosalind, played by Victoria Septien, is kept uneasily at court as a companion to her cousin, Celia, Frederick’s daughter, played by Caroline Maurer.
   Orlando de Boys, played by Jimmy Kenna, the youngest son of the late Sir Rowland de Boys, has been kept in poverty by his brother, Oliver, played by Jake McGlew, since his father’s death. Orlando decides to wrestle for his fortune at Frederick’s court where he sees Rosalind, and they fall in love.
   The duke banishes Rosalind, fearing she is a threat to his rule. Celia, refusing to be parted from her cousin, goes with Rosalind to seek Duke Ferdinand in the forest. For safety, they disguise themselves — Rosalind as the boy, Ganymede, and Celia as his sister, Aliena — and persuade the fool, Touchstone, played by Michael Kowalski, to accompany them.
   On hearing of a plot by his brother to kill him, Orlando also flees to the forest and takes refuge with the exiled Duke. Posting love lyrics through the forest, Orlando encounters Rosalind disguised as Ganymede. She challenges his lovesick state and suggests he should prove the strength of his love by wooing Ganymede as if he were Rosalind.
   Elsewhere in the forest, love also blossoms; the shepherd, Silvius, played by Taylor LaCaze, suffers unrequited love for Phoebe, played by Lexi Amato, who has fallen for Ganymede while Touchstone is pursuing the goatherd, Audrey, played by Sydney Rubin.
   Oliver, sent into the forest to hunt down Orlando, has his life saved by his brother, becomes filled with remorse for his past behavior and falls in love with Aliena.
   Frustrated by the pain of his love for Rosalind, Orlando is unable to continue wooing Ganymede so Ganymede promises he will conjure up the real Rosalind, and all the lovers will finally be wed.
   More than 900 family members, friends and students attended the performances over the three days.
   The audience was able to be up on the stage in keeping with the theme and monologue from the play of “all the world’s a stage” and “all the men and women merely players.”
   ”We have 21 seats on stage for audience members to really be a part of the show,” Ms. Sussman said. “They were all full on Saturday, which was a lot of fun.”
   Cindy George, 15, of Robbinsville, was one of the students who had the opportunity to sit on stage.
   ”You get a different angle of what’s going on onstage,” Cindy said. “You can see plays a million times and get the same experience, but getting that different perspective and seeing the actors more so where they are interacting with each other like people rather than for an audience is a lot different.”
   According to Cindy, it feels more like spectators are “included into the entire piece.”
   ”We had a lot of new members this year or people in new roles,” Ms. Sussman said. “It was the first time (for) our student stage manager, Eric Lapp. It was the first time our set designers, Kyle Morrow and Marissa Giblin, designed. It was the first time that our leads — Jimmy and Victoria — had ever auditioned. It was amazing seeing how much they grew over the course of the production.”
   Victoria never did anything “acting related.”
   ”I would just like to tell everyone how much they mean to me and what an honor it was to be chosen as the lead,” said Victoria, 17, of Robbinsville, in an email. “I never in a million years thought that it was possible for me, of all people, to be presented with such a wonderful opportunity and, once again, I will never forget the wonderful people that supported me throughout this experience.”
   Jimmy also was new to the theater this year.
   ”This is my first year having any involvement with theater, however, now I am involved with the fall dramas, the school improv team and the troupe going to Scotland,” said Jimmy, 16, in an email.
   He added, “My favorite part was working and learning with more experienced and talented people while still having fun.”
   According to Jimmy, he never “felt more accomplished by doing one sole thing.”
   He added, “It was long and hard work, but truly the most tedious parts were the most enjoyable. For those who have never tried acting, start now. No matter who you are and your abilities, acting is something special; an experience that is irreplaceable. I learned that this year.”
   Sydney Rubin, 16, of Robbinsville, has been involved with the high school theater since her freshman year and participated in her second fall drama.
   ”My favorite part was playing a character that I have never played before,” said Sydney in an email. “Audrey took a lot of time, trial and error and adapting to perfect, but I am happy with the result.”
   According to Sydney, this cast has “truly been the best group of people” she has have ever worked with.
   ”We always had fun while being professional,” Sydney added.
   For those who have never tried acting she recommended giving it a try.
   ”When else do you get to escape reality and create a whole new persona?” Sydney said. “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”
   Rehearsals started at the start of the school year.
   ”The show is predominantly student-produced with kids designing set and making/finding props and costumes,” Ms. Sussman said in her email. “Students do almost everything for the show. This year, we also brought in a graduate, Ashley Petix, Class of ‘10, who is now a professional working as a freelance scenic painter and set designer. She’s been working on scenic painting for the show and as a set design consultant, which was a terrific opportunity for students in the program to learn and be inspired by someone who graduated from the program.”
   Fifty students were cast in roles, including students who worked in various crew positions — stage crew, light and sound, and set design. Not everyone who tried out received a role.
   Karaline Rosen, dance captain, was in charge of the choreography.
   ”Folk dancing was the main inspiration for this dance so we watched videos to get a better idea of what to choreograph,” said Karaline, 16, of Robbinsville. “We’ve been practicing the dance for a little over two weeks, and it keeps improving every day. I’ve been involved with dance since I was 2 and started helping with choreography in the musical last year.”
   Technical director was Ed Holub. stage manager was Eric Lapp, assistant stage managers were Alec Skwara and Jasmine Wilker, and set design was created by Marissa Giglin and Kyle Morrow. Props master was Hannah Barker. Costume coordinator was Melissa Miller. Lighting design was done by Joe Skornoski. Sound design was done by Reid Sound. Scenic paint charge and set design consultant was overseen by Ms. Petix. Photography was overseen by Suzette Lucas.
   ” ‘As You Like It’ has been an enormous milestone for me,” said Eric, 17, of Robbinsville, in an email. “Since freshman year, I’ve been looking forward to the day where I might stage manage a show myself, and it has been an absolute honor and pleasure to work with people so talented and so close to me. It’s been tedious, stressful, exhausting, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I can promise that when seeing an RHS production, you are seeing a show put on by the most talented and passionate of people.”
   ”It’s wonderful,” said Sushma Janodia, of Robbinsville, who was watching with her husband.
   Her daughter, Rucha, was playing the first lord of Duke Senior.
   ”They worked so hard for this,” Ms. Janodia said. “They come home nine o’clock sometimes.”
   Marci Rubin, of Robbinsville, found it “fantastic” the students were able to learn a Shakespearean play and dialogue.
   ”The ability for them to gain the knowledge of a Shakespearean play and the times; it’s a wonderful cultural experience for everybody, and I’m glad that they took the time and the energy and the fortitude to school,” she said.
   According to parent Linda Leonard, of Robbinsville, it kept them on their “toes” paying attention to the “Old English.”
   Her daughter, Rachel, was in the ensemble.
   ”The fact that these kids have learned all these lines and are delivering them flawlessly with emotion is really impressive,” Ms. Leonard said. “The acting is spectacular.”