Blake Takes The (Virtual) Stage

In the midst of a global pandemic, Blake Stage Company put on an amazing virtual performance through 4 one-act mini-shows live on YouTube, organized by Blake Stage director, and AP Gov teacher, Ms. Mary Wagner. 

All the performances seemed to jump off the screen leaving an effect on the audience of friends, familys, and Blake Stage patrons. This would be worth the watch if you’re interested in theatre and acting performances. You should watch anyways even if you aren’t, the performances were great and it would be a good way to show some support to our Blake Stage students, who weren’t able to put on any in person performances this year. All of the shows were directed by students, and a few of the shows were written by Blake’s talented writers!

If interested, these are the synopses of the one-acts:

Akira: 

This performance was directed by Lauren Ambe. It is about a teenage girl that lives a bit more on the wild side and is reckless with her decisions. Later on she’s shown the toll it can take on her and is revealed that who she thought were her best friends weren’t very good friends after all. 

Bus Ride: 

Directed by Joe Huddle. This performance was very well played by its student actors. It is about a chatty old woman who jumps to many conclusions but is faced with the fact that not all of her assumptions are true. By the end, there is a lesson to be learned. 

The Salem Witch Trials: 

This performance was directed by Reese Schenkel. A witch trial is conducted in order to tell if a woman is a witch, after being accused by another woman. The end takes an unexpected turn that you would have to see for yourself. 

A Mystery Murderer: 

This performance being directed by Abigail Arrone is about man who is murdered and all the suspects of his murder are brought together to figure out which one amongst all of them are the murderer. They have a bit of trouble continuing with the plot when they all become sidetracked and start to argue with the narrator. 

Drugs Are Bad: 

Directed by Abbie Hancock, Drugs Are Bad is a performance about how a girl’s parents aren’t ordinary ones. You know, the ones that expect you to make good decisions and be responsible. It seems that they expect quite the opposite. 

Overall, the acting stood out the most. You can clearly see the effort put in by the student actors, director Joe Huddle stated, “I’m honestly surprised that we’re willing to put so much into it. Like I don’t mean to say my expectations were low, I just didn’t think people would be as into it as I was.” 

Behind the scenes of this performance there were some complications. Joe Huddle claimed, “I think it was communication[was the most difficult]. Between having to do everything through email and having some people not responding or not reading or just taking a while to respond was kind of inefficient.” He also mentioned how they were short on actors. “A lot of us had to step in for other actors as directors because of complications or a busy schedule.” Another director Lauren Ambe agreed, “trying to find a rehearsal time [was difficult], and making sure people showed up for them.” The dedication of the actors and directors shines through in each of their performances, it pays off to no end.

The show was excellent considering the complications of the virtual world. So let’s give a round of applause, or even a standing ovation to the actors and directors for the amazing performances regardless of the circumstances, and, of course, especially to Ms. Wagner for the wonderful supervision of it all. 
Watch the show here!: https://youtu.be/CEZ7jCQHUGM