‘Three Shows, One Night’ at RUHS

 

"Gawd," played by Katie Yawney, wrestles with Jacob, played by Antonia White, as RUHS students rehearse "The Bible in 30 Minutes," one of three one-act plays to be presented in Murray Auditorium March 27-29. (Herald / Tim Calabro)

What’s being heralded as "Three Shows, One Night" is one of the most ambitious theatrical productions in the history of Randolph Union High School. "Three Shows, One Night" will be presented March 27-29 at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s Murray Auditorium.

Rather than launch the traditional one-act play this spring, RUHS is fielding two comedies and a mystery.  

"I had a bad case of festival fatigue," director Brian C. Rainville explained, "and I wanted an opportunity to put more of our talented young actors and technicians in meaningful roles. These plays were selected to unleash their creativity and promote teamwork. I’m very happy with the results."

"I Hate Hamlet" demonstrates what happens when a less than gifted actor attempts Shakespeare’s greatest role. Junior Bobby Marchione directed the farce, with seniors Nathaniel Butterfield and Muriel Garner playing major roles. Juniors Zoe Gaby-Smith, Hannah Butterfield, and Casey Bonoyer round out the cast, which has discovered the rigors of playing comedy.  

As Muriel Garner noted during a break in rehearsal, "Comedy’s a nice change for us. We’ve done some pretty heavy stuff in the last few years, but the timing has to be just right for this play to work."

Agatha Christie’s "The Patient" is a period melodrama. Seniors Abby Hutchinson, Carly Allen, and Eddie Gast lead the cast, with support from juniors Libby Crowe and Jenna Miller. Underclassmen James Tazelaar, Shawn Dunwoody, and Nicole Humphrey round out the ensemble.

Junior Lydia Gubitosi, who directed the piece, noted, "Directing was an exciting challenge, I had real freedom to make choices but huge responsibilities as well. There’s a whole lot of work that comes with the director’s chair."

The third play, "The Bible in Thirty Minutes or Less," is a respectful romp through the Old and New Testaments, penned by a Texas minister.  

"We found this script in an on-line catalog and I was only a few pages into it when I knew we had to do it," said junior Ben Strange, who directed the play. His cast is led by senior Katie Yawney, who’s enjoying the plum role of God. She is assisted by fellow seniors Holly Mugford, Jon Giannino, Antonia White, Elisah West, and Matt Messier; and juniors Kim Francis, Lauren Soares, and Rachel Dube. Underclassmen Jake Zani and Stephanie Deyette round out the ensemble.  

Stage managers Anthony Fiorillo, Chip Hafner, and Nick Blanchard are busy keeping things running smoothly, while costumers Libby Crowe and Maia Binhammer oversee a complex wardrobe. Community members LaRae Francis and Sabrina Robinson are among the many parents and friends of the cast working on costumes.

Rainville noted that, "The lighting designs of siblings Grace and Unique Small will not be realized, as work has begun to replace Murray Auditorium’s undersized and historically unreliable dimming system dating from 1968. Yet in true theatrical fashion, the show will go on thanks to the creativity of technical director Abner Olmstead and his highly skilled crew."

"This has been an exciting season for our troupe," Rainville added. "We started out last fall with ‘Twelve Angry Men,’ which had rave reviews and a very strong box office, despite unintentionally going head-to-head with the Sharon Academy’s ‘Wizard of Oz.’"

A rapid exchange of e-mails with the folks at Chandler and TSA helped ensure that won’t happen again this November, when the troupe expects to launch "Anne of Green Gables" as their mainstage production.  

Ticket sales provide more than 75% of the program’s annual operating budget. Tickets will be available at the door prior to each of the three performances.  

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