The Masconomet Theater Company is preparing to return to the statewide competition, The Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Festival, (METG), with Circus Fire, a forty-minute play written by Janet Munsil. After competing for two years, the company is now familiar with the competition expectations and hopes to make it to the final round in Boston.
While METG has actors and technicians and puts on performances, anyone who has done Fest will say that it is very different from regular high school theater.
Junior Delaney Ogden, the acting assistant stage manager, has attended the METG Festival twice.
“The competitive nature of Fest is the most stark difference from regular theater. Fest is one of the few times that all parts of theater truly work together cohesively, and that is part of the beauty and magic of Fest,” said Ogden.
As the assistant stage manager and a technician, Ogden can work directly with actors and even spend time on stage, as she did in last year’s competition piece Dont U Luv Me when she got to run the projector from the stage.
“Fest is how techies are truly highlighted, and I just plan on doing my best and putting my best foot forward,” said Ogden.
Director and choreographer Brian Pereira loves taking a step back as an adult leader and letting the students shine.
“What I love about Fest is that the students are in charge of manning the ship. Fest is a true example of teamwork across the entire company. Every element has to work together to produce the end product,” said Pereira.
During the performances, adults cannot communicate with the crew or cast and cannot be present backstage. Because of this, the company spends time during rehearsals practicing without Pereira and leaning on the student-led team to guide them.
This year, the Masco Theater Company is competing with the show Circus Fire, which was written about the Barnum and Bailey circus after their big tent went up in flames in Hartford, Connecticut. 167 people died during the fire, including a little girl who was an orphan named Little Miss 1565. The play Circus Fire is about her story up until the fire and the people she meets.
“I chose this show because I wanted our company to be challenged differently than we have been in previous shows. With the physicality involved, this show will expose our company to many different elements that will inevitably help to grow and foster our existing skill set,” said Pereira.
While Pereira has used minimalist sets in the past, this show is even more stark than the others, giving the actors a different perspective on how physical movement can make a picture.
This show has a cast of 4 main characters and a small ensemble. This is a huge change for the actors from their previous show The Addams Family, which had over 30 cast members.
“My opinion with the smaller cast is good because it will make for a closer group and it will also lead to a better overall show as there are fewer people and it will be more organized,” said junior Sarah Pellizzaro, who is auditioning for Fest for the first time.
This show is viewed through a minimalist lens and uses actors’ bodies to create sets and pictures.
“What I find interesting about the show, Circus Fire, is that it is a movement-based show, where most of the story is told through movement,” said Pellizzaro. “I am also excited for the chance to get to work with everyone and collaborate to make the best show.”
What makes Fest special is connecting as a company, traveling to different schools, and meeting new friends.
“METG brings multiple theater companies together and gives us all a space to share and celebrate what we love, without judgment. Yes, METG is a competition, but there is so much more to the guild than just the competition itself,” said Ogden.