This weekend I had an opportunity to journey back to my old high school and experience Nouvel’s theater presentation, “A Christmas Carol.” Now this is no ordinary event for me to attend, after all, I spent all of my four high school years involved in Nouvel Catholic Central’s theater program. It is said you come to have a deeper understanding and greater appreciation for theater once you have lived through the tedious process of making a show not only come together but be a success. Although I spent most of my time working behind the scenes as stage manager, it makes me no less appreciative of the actors, actresses, makeup artists, and tech crew that put in countless hours required for a memorable performance. So with a touch of anxious anticipation, I sat down to see the performance of “A Christmas Carol."
A timeless story with a heartfelt message, there was not a better time for this production with Christmas just around the corner. I think the biggest challenge this cast may have faced was the extensive number of scene changes that occur throughout the story. Under the director's decision, the set was kept relatively simple, prompting the use of the audiences’ imagination. I thought this to be a clever decision for two reasons. One, it kept the audience engaged, forcing them to build and expand upon the words of each actor or actress. Second, I think this pushed the cast to focus on the presentation of their lines and it showed just how talented these high school students really are.
As years have passed since my graduation, I failed to recognize many of the faces up on stage. Yet, as I sat there watching each performer, I could not help but feel each had been assigned a role that was astoundingly fitting to their ability. The ability for certain scenes to make me laugh or send chills down my spine truly attest to the effectiveness of each line that was delivered. With a change in director over the past few plays, the ability for each person to be placed in a role that suited them as well as it did in this play, makes me appreciate the leadership an experienced director can have.
This play deviated from the use of a curtain during scene changes. I found this to be an odd decision due to the fact that these changes often occurred during transitions when the carolers were singing. Rather distracting, I would have liked to see a different solution used. In addition, the stage was completely covered in black paint. I understand the message and dim derivation of this story, but at times I felt the lack of color left you staring at a scene out of The Rolling Stones song, “Paint It Black." After all, there were some moments that called for a more joyful celebration. Other than the occasional forgotten line or missed cue, which I’m sure resulted in a face palm from the cast backstage, I thought the play went on without a hitch.
I was pleased to see that the legacy of Nouvel Theater still shines as the cast and crew put on yet another wonderful and entertaining production. Good job and congratulations to everyone involved in this play as you have yet again shown what it means to be a Panther.
