A swoosh of paper echoed in the Wrigley Theatre as actors searched for the correct page. They read their lines while looking down at bright blue scripts, pencils in hand. When their director, Upper School performing arts teacher Frank Schneider, pointed, shuffling feet and scribbling graphite followed. Mr. Schneider cautioned them, though, that they have to be off-book next week.
On stage, junior Kelsey Riordan mimed swimming strokes. Her character, Jenny June, trained for a swim across Lake Michigan. As she continued her circular path, she passed chorus members who pushed the air behind her, simulating water movement.
Mr. Schneider said, “To add to the fantastical feel of the play, I want everyone to be moving in circles or in sweeps or in curves.”
Latin’s 2024 fall play is “Failure: A Love Story.” It follows the Fail sisters and their shared love interest Mortimer Mortimer on a journey of love and loss. The characters are brought to life by Kelsey, junior Izzy Schafer, sophomore Stella Tate Ricciardi-Fitzpatrick, and senior Finn Deeney.
The play’s tone is different from previous performances. In the 2023-24 school year, Latin did productions of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Shrek.” Izzy said, “It’s a lot darker than the shows we did last year, which I really enjoy because I enjoy dramatic acting and scenes with more emotional depth.”
Emotions are a key part of the play—and not just for the actors. Mr. Schnieder said, “The first time I read the script, it made me cry. I think that’s why I chose to do it. It would not let me go.”
In early rehearsals, the focus was on blocking: figuring out the movement on stage. Mr. Schneider demonstrated how to move like a snake and sleep on a staircase. He told actors when and how to sit, stand, look, and exit. Boxes and chairs were used as substitutes for platforms and props, helping actors navigate their movements on an imaginary set.
Although Mr. Schneider is the director, the actors had just as much input in their blocking.
“I’m not the smartest person in the room,” he said to students often throughout rehearsal. It was important to him what the actors “felt right” in their movements.
“Theater is a collaborative process,” Mr. Schneider said. “They are agents in their own right. They’ve done this work on who their character is.”
Stella Tate said, “It’s such a joy to act as a character and for the emotions you are having to touch the audience.”
“Failure: A Love Story” has its opening night on October 16.
