It has now been about two months since the fall musical And the World Goes ‘Round, and the actors, as well as those who helped out with the play, such as stage crew and set design, have had ample time to reflect on their experiences with being involved. I interviewed two people with large parts to play, one onstage, and one off. The first of the two interviews was with Leila Rodriguez ‘23, whose five solos had a big impact on the show.

Q: What was your favorite part of being in the musical?

A: My favorite part of being in the musical was hanging out with the cast. Since we were such a small group, I think it allowed for us to bond really well and that showed when we worked together in larger numbers.

Q What was your favorite song/dance number?

A: My favorite number was Coffee because it was a funny and upbeat number with a lot of words and movements to follow. It felt really satisfying when we were finally able to run through the entire thing with no mistakes.

Q: How much time would you estimate you spent involved in the musical? 

A: 30-minute rehearsals became 1.5 hours and then 4-6 hours in no time. I have no idea how much time I spent involved in the musical, but luckily my exhaustion at the end of every day seemed to pay off.

Q: Which show do you feel you did best in?

A: I think I did best during both of the Saturday shows.

Q: Why should more people take part in the theater program?

A: It is honestly an amazing experience you can’t replicate anywhere else. Cast bonding, the mixing of joy and nerves while running through the entire show, and the feeling you get when you finally nail your piece are some of my personal favorite parts that make it all worth it to me.

Q: What was your overall experience with this musical?

A: My overall experience with the musical was an extremely stressful but positive one. It contributed to a lot of the stress in my life trying to tackle it on top of academics, but that’s to be expected for the musical. I enjoyed my time with my cast, Ms. Stait, the stage crew, and many other wonderful people who played a role in the process.

As demonstrated through Leila’s responses, the actors had an amazing experience with being part of the musical. But even though the actors obviously played an essential role in the production, there were many other groups involved in making the whole undertaking possible. Next, I interviewed a member of set design: Astrid Olshin ‘24, who had this to say about it:

“Set design… is different from stage crew, since we didn’t make the bigger pieces, like the stairs that were used in And the World Goes ‘Round. Set design is more in charge of the smaller details, like the ambiance of the show and the general decorations. 

I helped out by putting together tables and painting letters for the cabaret sign. Those tables were put on the seats in the auditorium to keep families distanced. The cabaret sign turned out really well, and Ms. Farrow had the idea of adding little round stickers on the letters to make them look like lights. This sign was probably my favorite prop.

Set design is really fun, and a great way to be involved in production without actually having to be in the show. If you’re interested in shows and art, but don’t like performing, you should definitely try out set design!”

Despite COVID-19 making it difficult to perform safely, the show was a great success. I, along with the members of the cast and crew, strongly encourage anyone who wants to be more involved in the arts to audition or join stage crew or set design for the next play in the spring!