"It's All Fun and Games Until..." A Director's View on the THS 2013 Fall Play, GAME NIGHT

Trumbull High School, which has put on award winning productions such as Crazy for You, The Wiz and Fiddler on the Roof, is putting on its second annual fall production. This year, the play is called Game Night. 8 playwrites were each given a classic board game and a genre of theater and 24 hours to write it. The result was GAME NIGHT.

GAME NIGHT has 8 "vignettes" (like in the style of Almost, Maine) as scenes. The board games that were selected were: Checkers, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Clue, Chess, Sorry!, Battleship and Candyland.

Drama Teacher and English Teacher Jessica Spillane chose 6 student directors to mentor as they each direct 1 or 2 scenes. Those directors are: Daniel Satter, Larissa Mark, Josh Madwed, Emily Ruchalski, Nathan Clift (me) and Jacquelyn Sheenan. 

Now, 6 directors and 8 scenes... that doesn't even out. 

Larissa Mark, a long time Stage Manager for Trumbull High and TYA, directed last year's fall play, Almost, Maine. She was asked to direct the scenes that are based off Trivial Pursuit and Candyland. I was lucky enough to be asked to direct two as well. I am directing the scenes based off Monopoly and Battleship.

Acting is not easy. That's a given. However, most actors don't know how stressful it is on the production staff and crew. I was on run crew for productions of Seussical Jr, Cinderella Jr and The Castaways. I was on Property Crew for TYA's production of Grease and I was part of the publicity crew for last year's Almost, Maine. I am a producer of the Sunday Spotlights. I have Stage Managed and Co-Choregraphed and I can honestly say: NO ONE'S JOB IS EASY. Basically, next time your director postpones the cast list, it's because they are having trouble. 

Now, take the producers, directors, set designers, etc and have them being mentored to take away skills that will help them in the future. That is what Trumbull High is doing. 

I bet by now you typed into Google "Game Night Play" and got nothing. You won't find any video recordings of productions. That is because this weekend is the world premiere of the show. 

You read that right...
This is the original production of the show. 

As amazing as that is, nothing has changed in the production end. It doesn't matter if you are doing GAME NIGHT or ROMEO AND JULIET: You need to make the show happen, whether it is the first time being performed or the millionth time being performed. 

I have learned in the past few months that nothing happens over night. It is a lot of collaboration, debating and problem solving. If you want to be part of production staff ever, here is one hint: remain calm. Everything seems worse than it really is. 

GAME NIGHT was fun, painful, stressful and many more adjectives. Currently, we are 1/2 way through tech week. The show is Friday and Saturday at Trumbull High School. Both of the shows are at 8pm. Tickets are $5 and you can only buy them at the door. My advice, get there early enough so you can get a ticket. 

If you are on facebook, the event is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/446873395433661/

For commercials, here are 2 of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0AOiVfzMhA&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emuV52bQ-nY&feature=youtu.be

Come on down to Trumbull High and remember: "It's all fun and games until..." well... what do you think comes next?

~Nathan Clift

Junior at Trumbull High School

VP of the New Paradigm Theatre Youth Board