On Sunday, October 2, CaTheatre wrapped up their final performance of Junie B. Jones, which generated glowing views from students and staff members alike. However, the road leading up to the show was anything but smooth.
On August 22, technical director Mr. Michael Moffatt was leading an activity with his CORE group onstage when he tripped and fell, breaking his leg. He had to go to the hospital and was sent into surgery, rendering him unable to come to school for weeks.
Because Mr. Moffatt was absent on medical leave, seniors and crew heads Lance Gratner, stage right deck manager, and Noah Smiler, lighting designer, had to step up and coordinate a smaller version of what crew typically is. Usually, Mr. Moffatt’s tech theater classes assist the crew in building the set, but because he couldn’t be with his classes, the crew essentially had to build the entire set by themselves.
Gratner said, “When I heard about Moffatt’s broken leg, I wasn’t very optimistic about how the show would go, but with a lot of effort . . . we managed to put together an amazing show that I am proud to be a part of.”
Mr. Moffatt was able to return to the theater mid-tech week, only a couple days away from opening night. He said, “At first, I was kind of nervous coming back, but when I walked into the auditorium, I was really just blown away by all the people that I saw signed up for crew and so happy to see the finished set, costumes, lights, and sound. It was amazing and very heartwarming.”
The cast was completely student-directed as well. Senior Carrie Dobrota was the head director, meaning she did everything from casting the show to blocking scenes to scheduling rehearsals. Juniors Lucy Lindner and Veronica Rondinella were assistant director and choreographer, respectively.
Dobrota said, “I have had so many people come up to me every show being like ‘this is the greatest Cathedral show I’ve ever seen’ and ‘I wasn’t expecting a Junie B. Jones show to be this good.’ I’m really proud of [the cast].”
Although auditions for the fall play, “Almost, Maine,” occurred earlier this week, crew sign-ups will be sent out later this week for anyone interested in joining.
