Yesterday, I received the opportunity to watch the dress rehearsal for the fall play, The Greek Olympiaganza by Don Zolidis. I found it to be really well done and interesting. The play features juniors Jacqueline Kotlarz and  Brian Nguyen as narrators, and other actors who will be portraying multiple characters. The production is  directed by Luc Howland and Aaron Stahlecker as technical director. The props and costumes were  overseen by theater teacher  Nikki Guckian, and sound is being run by Pat O’Brien, and Alaina Galasso is stage manager.

The play starts by the two narrators, Kotlarz and Nguyen, giving a presentation to their class about Greek mythology. They hit on well-known myths and other details of Greek mythology, played out by other actors.  The story is well- written and is portrayed believably by the cast. The best parts of the story is the acting of the myths themselves. The jokes are funny, the climax of all of the myths are interesting and keep the viewers attention. The characters are portrayed in a way that gives a fresh outlook on these well- known figures. The production  is clearly trying to inform the audience of Greek myths and how they have influence us in America today, in the form of a project presentation, as it is mentioned throughout play.

The set is somewhat simple, but eye-catching none the less. In the back of the stage, there are a series of pillars, much like the ones you would find on any iconic building in Greece, so it is a great fit for this story. It was set up in the back, just in front of the back curtain, as to give the actors plenty of room to perform. Lighting was a big factor, as well. When one or two actors were on stage, a spotlight was used, as to not distract the audience from them. When an important scene with many actors was in progress, however, the lights directly above the stage were used, so that the audience could see all of the action. Music was used throughout the play, when a character or scene was introduced, or when a transition was taking place. The actors wore traditional Greek tojas for almost all of the scenes, but some did not, to add humor to the story. For example, in one scene there was a marriage counselor, and she wore a modern business jacket over her toja.

The actors, overall, were well prepared and it was evident that they knew what they were doing. The two narrators, Kotlarz and Nguyen, were confident and very professional when delivering their lines, standing straight and smiling wide, taking on the ambiance of a game show host when they did the ‘Greek Game Show’.It was evident that they enjoyed and understood what they were doing.

The shows will be on Oct. 2, & 3 at 7pm and a 1 pm and a 7pm show oct. 4 in the auditorium.