Held at Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Performing Arts Center (PAC), students of the Advanced Theatre Class performed a unique and innovative adaptation to an old tale: The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow. The performance took place on Nov. 16 to Nov. 18, giving the community plenty of time to enjoy the show before Thanksgiving Break.
The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow follows the story of an odd man named Ichabod Crane. Play Director Whitney LaBarge adapted the story, turning it into a fantastical adventure with a fairy-tale ending. Ichabod travels from town to town, presenting himself as a generous man and scholar. Upon discovering the quaint, cozy town of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod tries to make the community his home. However, haunted by his past, Ichabod must confront the Headless Horseman, a symbol of his dark secret, to rid himself of his ghosts.
Preparation for the show began on the first day of school, nearly four months prior to the day of the performance. Auditions were held just a week after school started, and the rest of the time was spent building props, designing costumes, and rehearsing the scenes.
Senior Joss Lau, who was cast as Parson Van Pastor, explained, “We have rehearsal every day; most of them last from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the beginning. They last until 10:00 p.m. when there are only two weeks left before opening night.”
As full-time students, the actors often found it difficult to manage the time between rehearsals and other activities and homework. The rehearsals often left the students with little time for other activities.
Junior Jasmin Mendoza, one of the revolutionaries, said, “Some challenges are just how long rehearsals can feel, but the people around me always make it 100% more bearable.”
Throughout rehearsals, the actors would try on costumes, test lighting and sound effects, and practice run-throughs of each scene. These processes took several hours, often beginning in the afternoon and ending late at night.
The hard work definitely paid off; the actors delivered a captivating story about the journey of Ichabod Crane, truly bringing the characters to life with their words and actions. Students backstage put in just as much effort, and they were able to create a build set for the actors to perform on. The students of Advanced Stagecraft and Advanced Theatre beautifully depicted the adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, recreating the exact emotions and experience of the original story.
Mendoza and Lau both agreed that the light and ambience added depth to the show, creating an atmosphere that drew the audience into the story.
“I really loved the sound effect, there’s a lot of play with the voices and distortion,” added Mendoza.
After the show, junior Zachary Sakti said, “The [Headless Horseman] scene was incredible and it surprised me how realistic [the horse] looked. The size of the horse and its lifelike movements were captured very well.”
The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow was a definite success for the Arcadia Stage. The students performed to a full house on Friday, Nov. 17, and generated long lines of excited audience members outside of the PAC on each night of the performance. After this performance, students, parents, and alumni who attended will be patiently anticipating the next masterpiece to be released. Congratulations to Director LaBarge and Producer Steven Volpe for the well-written play, and the Advanced Stagecraft and Advanced Theatre class for their stunning execution of the performance!
