A cast and crew of 14, representing all four grades at TABC, performed “In a Strange Land,” an absurdist comedy by Alan Haehnel, last Thursday night, with an encore performance for the ninth and 10th grades on Friday. The play was directed by Rebecca Lopkin, director of performing arts and artistic director of Envision Theater. The student actors began rehearsing the play shortly after school began in September and met twice a week for two hours at a time and, more recently, on Sundays for three-hour rehearsals as well. According to Lopkin, participation in the play requires commitment, dedication, creativity and the desire to work collaboratively to create a work of art, but does not require vast amounts of previous experience; in other words, all are welcome! Some students involved have been part of the troupe since freshman year and have just completed their seventh production while others just joined this year.

This particular show challenged the students to dig deep into their wells of creativity as the entire first act took place in a parallel universe which was invisible to the audience. Therefore, all props, scenery and set pieces were also invisible. This meant that the actors had to spend many hours perfecting their pantomime skills so that all of the props that they were supposed to be using actually looked real—as though they were really in their hands. Their comedic chops were also tested, fine-tuned and ultimately rewarded as the audience thoroughly laughed and enjoyed the performance. Teachers in the audience commented on how incredible it was to see their students have an opportunity for self-expression and creativity outside of the regular classroom environment, and students echoed the importance of this experience for them. Many emphasized that having an opportunity to create and truly own a work of art, while bonding with classmates and fellow cast members, was an essential part of their semester.