Berkley High School students are coming together to reenact the story of Hadestown, a musical based on Greek mythology that follows the story of Orpheus.
In this story Orpheus travels to the Underworld to get Eurydice from Hadestown. It tells two love stories: one between Orpheus and Eurydice, and the other between King Hades and his wife, Persephone. Orpheus, a musician, left heartbroken by the death of his wife Eurydice traveled to the Underworld to bargain for her soul. Hades agreed to release her on the strict condition that Orpheus must lead her out to the surface without looking back at her. It is a story that shows love, heartbreak, and many plot twists. There is a lot that the actors and crew have done to prepare, so let’s dive into the behind-the-scenes of producing this musical.
In order to execute a musical, it takes time, people, and work. There is a significant amount of effort being put into Berkley High School’s musical this spring. It starts with the choice of what musical they are doing.
Director John Hopkins put a generous amount of thought into his choice of which musical they would do. Not only did he take into account the people who would be acting, but also what would make an impact on the actors, as well as the people watching. This play can teach the audience important lessons through storytelling, one lesson being that there is always value in trying, even if you do not succeed.
To prepare, they also have a crew helping them set up the sets. Oftentimes, the stage crew gets overlooked by the audience. However, they play major roles in the production of BHS’s musicals and plays. The crew not only builds, paints, and designs the sets, but also helps move and change them throughout the production. In total, there are over 50 people who come together to make the musical happen, and it is especially important to show appreciation and recognition for everyone’s work.
In addition to getting the set to be fully made and ready, the people acting also have a lot of preparations to do before they even get their parts. The actors have to prepare for auditions, and once they get their parts, they must then learn the lines for their roles. Sophomore Allison Shepherd says she and her other friends auditioning “got together multiple times a week and practiced the parts they were auditioning for”. Once auditions were over, the cast and crew had rehearsals for two hours every day, five days a week. They started at the beginning of January and will continue until they perform on Apr. 23-26.
In addition to the physical practice and attending rehearsals, there is also a lot of emotional preparation they have to do. In a fictional musical, the actors must be ready to play a role that requires them to be able to become a fictional character. Not only does this include getting into costume, but also being able to accurately portray a mythological character.
One way Sophomore James Newell, the actor for Orpheus, is able to portray his character is by really “understanding their emotions and considering how they would feel at certain points in the musical’. Newell is able to find similarities between Orpheus and normal humans and use them to get a deeper understanding of his character. Newell says, “Orpheus isn’t a god like Hermes, he’s a normal human being”.
Throughout all of the productions that Berkley high school has done, the school board has been able to help out the students a lot with funding. The board is very supportive of the theater productions and is currently building them a new black box theatre which will also be their choir room and a new auditorium interior. Due to these renovations, they had to temporarily relocate where they are doing their productions. This year their spring musical is at the Bonstelle Playhouse in Detroit. Director Hopkins chose this place because he thought it would be a good place for them to perform their musical since their normal auditorium is not ready.
Overall, there has been a lot of thought and effort in preparing for the spring musical. From auditions to rehearsals to building the set, BHS Drama is ready to show its talents. Tickets are available on the Berkley website with prices ranging from $10-20. Due to renovation delays, the performance will be at the Bonstelle Playhouse, which is located at 3424 Woodward Ave, Detroit, Michigan, 48072.
