By Mayur Somalinga – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Drama Club unveiled their rendition of “The Haunting of Hill House” on November 8-9.

The cast suited-up for one performance on Friday, November 8 at 7 p.m. and two performances on Saturday, November 9 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Drama Club blended quick-witted humor and kid-friendly horror quite elegantly in their performances, leaving the audience swaying between laughter and shock. 

“I think our performances went great,” said sophomore Sophie Maselli, who played Eleanor Vance. “The audiences seemed to love the show, and whenever something unexpected happened, we breezed right through it without a problem.”

However, this level of readiness was not just a matter of luck. The Drama Club and its affiliates practiced and worked tirelessly multiple hours a week to get the show as flawless as possible.

“We had about 9-10 hours of rehearsal together every week, and then we had to practice on our own outside of those rehearsals,” said senior Riley Pastir, who played Mrs. Montague. “The biggest part of putting on a show is making sure that everyone is on the same page, and we have to make sure that we are all communicating.”

Although, in the end, it was the cast that stood in the spotlight, the role of the crew was vital to the show’s overall success. 

“We helped make the ‘spooky sounds’ such as the pounding, and also helped the actors get in and out of costumes during quick changes,” said freshman crew member and understudy for Theodora, Quinn Scalfani.

As much as the Drama Club worked extremely hard to make the show as seamless as possible, some errors occurred along the way. However, oftentimes, the audience failed to realize that a misstep had happened because the actors were so in touch with their characters that they were able to continue as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. 

“I faced a few difficulties, one was that I had a lot of lines and I would during the show, stumble over my words,” said junior Joseph Soto, who played Dr. Montague. “My biggest difficulty was probably the beard; it wouldn’t want to stay on and during the final show it came off but it was before I was about to leave, so I played it off well I think.”

While all rehearsals were critical to the final result, there were a few rehearsals that stood above the rest and those were during tech week.

“During tech week rehearsals, we aren’t allowed to ask for our line; the first unstopped run through is completed, and we begin to play around with lights, sound, and the set,” Scalfani said. “This is also the first time the crew gets to practice.”

The Drama Club has many seasoned performers; however, they also have many new members that were initially unfamiliar with the intricacies and caveats of being in the club.  

“Everyone is just so talented, and I was worried that I wasn’t good enough,” Scalfani said. “But immediately everyone was so nice and welcomed me with open arms.”

Although members of the Drama Club all have very essential roles that help keep the show afloat, Soto considers just being yourself to be the most important one of all.

“Being yourself is always appreciated and can make you feel more comfortable in the club,” Soto said.

Being yourself is a core part of being a Drama Club member, but the Drama Club also offers the chance for its members to grow, develop, and become the best versions of themselves, both on and off the stage.

“I strive to make every show not just a performance, but a learning experience for these actors,” Drama Club Director Christina Kalafut said. “I want them to hold this experience with them and use what they have learned toward performances in the future.”

The era of “The Haunting of Hill House” might be over for the Drama Club, however, they will shortly begin preparing for their spring musical, “Footloose.”

As an audience member, it is quite easy to think of the possibility of being a part of the Drama Club for a successful production, such as “The Haunting of Hill House,” to be impossible. However, Kalafut begs to differ as she believes that as long as people are willing to face their self-doubt and audition for a role, there is always a possibility.

“Take a chance, believe in yourself, and come to an audition,” Kalafut said. “Understand that plays typically have smaller casts, so if you don’t get cast, be part of the crew.”