‘The Game’s Afoot’ opens today

Photo+by+George+Frey

Photo by George Frey

Multiple Authors
December 13, 2018

[vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI1NjAlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIzMTUlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGVUgwcVpYTEVKUWclMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbGxvdyUzRCUyMmFjY2VsZXJvbWV0ZXIlM0IlMjBhdXRvcGxheSUzQiUyMGVuY3J5cHRlZC1tZWRpYSUzQiUyMGd5cm9zY29wZSUzQiUyMHBpY3R1cmUtaW4tcGljdHVyZSUyMiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html]Video by Maya BellTonight, the RBHS Advanced Acting class will be putting on its December show, The Game’s Afoot. The show is a classic Sherlock Holmes story with a comedic twist. The play is one which encompasses not only superior character work, but also wonderful set and costume design. Director and Advanced Acting teacher Holly Kerns was excited about choosing this show, as it was combing two things which normally wouldn’t go together: comedy and Sherlock Holmes.
“I was really excited about how it was funny in a quirky way,” Kerns said. “I like that Sherlock Holmes is recognizable, but it’s a unique twist on it. It just was the one. I read tons and tons of plays in preparation for a selection, and it was just the one that to me stood out.”
The actors have forged their own unique personalities and quirks. This makes the play much more dynamic to watch. Junior Michael Dean Bledsoe plays the role of Felix, a character with a variety of motives that steers the story in multiple directions.
“The great thing about this play is that there is so much going on,” Bledsoe said. “Felix has several different motives. He is married to his wife Madge (played by senior Lucy Beattie), and they are sort of an old married couple. His second priority would be to protect his best friend named Gillett (played by senior Bailey Long).”
With such an evocative show, the need for dynamic set design arises. The play has highly detailed sets that transport the audience into a different place and time. Theatre tech teacher and set designer Dee Crosby has been able to build the sets with his students and has faced challenges, but also rewards.
“It’s got its challenges. It’s just the volume of stuff we have to get done in a short amount of time,” Crosby said. “Ms. Kerns tells me the show she wants to do, I do some research, run the ideas by her, and then we modify them from there.”
For Kerns, comedic timing was one of the most challenging, yet crucial parts of the production. Managing to get the correct and appropriate timing is not only difficult, but also requires extensive practice, character development and collaboration.
“Working on delivering the lines to the best possible effect, and having the actors work together to create that, “I think we’ve worked really hard together to make that happen, ,” The cast is such a closely knit group. In some cases it’s natural, one thing that’s tricky about doing a play is to take what’s natural and make it happen. This is a great group with wonderful chemistry, and I think every time we rehearse we have a lot of fun and you can’t play that or schedule that, it just happens naturally.”
The Game’s Afoot will be playing in the PAC from Dec. 13 – 15 at 7 p.m.
Story by George Frey
Will you be seeing the show? Let us know in the comments below.