The Lexington High School Drama Department has begun preparation for this year’s musical, Guys and Dolls. Written by Damon Runyon, Guys and Dolls follows New York City gamblers whose whirlwind romances teach them about commitment and honesty. Carly Kalivas, a performing arts teacher at LHS, will direct the musical.
“I am excited to tackle a golden-age musical like Guys and Dolls. Our unique design concept and vision for the show is meant to honor this classic while breathing life into what is often considered a very dated story,” Kalivas said.
Auditions occurred during the first week of February. Students registered for the preliminary round, after which a dance call and callbacks were held before finalizing the cast. When assessing auditions, the production team considers a variety of different factors.
“We are looking for stage presence and acting skills. We are also looking for someone who seems directable, who has a positive attitude and will be a pleasure to work with,” Kalivas said.
Musicals require acting, singing, dancing, and live music to seamlessly come together during performances and while it can be challenging for the production team, Kalivas believes that it creates a cohesive product.
“Performers have to balance character and choreography while maintaining vocal strength, designers must solve complex technical puzzles, and directors must keep storytelling clear amid constant motion. Every element is interdependent, leaving little room for error, but when it all comes together, it is pure magic,” Kalivas said.
While auditions for actors are underway, the musical also requires behind-the-scenes work that is mainly directed by students. This provides opportunities for anyone interested in theater to be involved with the musical without going on stage.
“For the LHS Musical, students are the major driving force behind the show’s success. The cast, stage crew, costume crew, design team, and pit orchestra are all composed of students. We also have student assistant directors, stage managers, and [a] dramaturg,” Kalivas explained.
In addition to these positions, LHS also has an extensive theater program that contains a variety of courses and extracurricular activities. Among them are Public Speaking (I and II), Drama, the Fall Play, and Improv Troupe to name a few. There are no criteria for joining a performing arts class; they are open to all students.
“There is no ‘kind’ of student that is typical in the performing arts program. Each person brings their own unique talent, skills, knowledge, and passion. What I would say they all have in common is a desire to dedicate themselves to something bigger, to tell stories and explore what it is to be a human,” Kalivas said.
Jillian Singer-Wong, a drama teacher at LHS, echoes this sentiment. She encourages anyone who has any interest to give performing arts a try.
“If you are even thinking that it might be interesting to you, try it in some form, whether it’s a class during the day, auditioning for our extracurricular program, or working on our tech crew. You get to meet people from other grades that you might not meet otherwise, both in classes and after school, and you get a chance to explore something that you might really love,” Singer-Wong said.
