Students Write, Produce Play "Not For Profit"
In less than three months, juniors Gabby G. ’22 and Katy C. ’22 penned a play, cast it and then brought it to life. This weekend, their show will go on in the Hackney Theater.
“Not for Profit” is an original, student-written and directed play about a theatre department of the fictional Nature Valley High School which received a generous donation to rebuild and update their struggling theater. Yet to receive a second donation, the theater department needs to impress the anonymous donor with a talent showcase.
“Not for Profit” is an original, student-written and directed play about a theatre department of the fictional Nature Valley High School which received a generous donation to rebuild and update their struggling theater. Yet to receive a second donation, the theater department needs to impress the anonymous donor with a talent showcase.
The 60-minute show is open to current students, faculty and staff and will also have a special showing for the cast members’ families. It will also be recorded for those who want to support Gabby and Katy.
- Friday, May 14, at 5 p.m. for students and faculty (50 maximum). This performance will be streamed at https://www.youtube.com/CollegiateOaks.
- Friday, May 14, at 7 p.m. for cast family (50 maximum)
- Sunday, May 16, at 3 for students and faculty (50 maximum)
“We wanted something to happen,” said Gabby, and with “all the challenges COVID produced, the easiest way was to write our own show.”
The experience has come with a lot of positives and a lot of challenges, such as directing and figuring out the details was more challenging than they initially envisioned.
“Trying to get out to people what I want to see in my head has been difficult,” said Gabby. “I give (Mr.) Hoyle (theater director) a lot of credit.”
“Casting was also hard,” said Katy. “And I didn’t think about things like the lighting.”
However, since it was a piece that they created, they have been able to freely adapt it as they see fit, which has come in handy as they brought it to fruition.
“The first week or two we did Zoom rehearsals where we developed the characters. Now, seeing them put so much effort into it and seeing them interact is really cool,” said Katy.
And “all of the characters are based off the people who actually ended up playing them,” said Gabby. “It really started out as let’s create a basic character wall where characters could be outgoing and full of themselves. Then we started building scenes.”
It’s also evolved a lot since they first penned the script.
“What we started with is a lot different than what we have now,” said Katy. “It started as a genuine talent show, and now it’s a full show with characters.”
Most importantly, they are proud of what they have been able to bring to life.
“I’m just excited and proud to see it come together,” said Gabby. “There are times that it comes together so well, and I catch myself laughing at my own writing. People actually enjoy this!”
