The Show Must Go On

By Brooke Lovelace

Covid-19 better put on its dancing shoes because the  play, Newsies, put on by Garnet Valley High School is unstoppable. 

The cast and staff of this amazing production went through months of hard work to be able to make the play possible. Covid-19 threw a wrench into their plans, but Mrs. Arters and her team of talented students put on their masks and took to the stage. In this interview, Stephanie Roberts and Olivia DiMarino, two very gifted actors and dancers, give their first hand experience of the play and how it was different due to the virus. 

“This year for sure. EVERYTHING about this [year] was different” 

Stephanie goes on to discuss how the creation of the sets and stage were especially taxing due to the play being moved outside for safety reasons. The sets were adapted to any potential weather conditions and took months of creation. Actors were also told to bring in their own costumes as well as store them to keep the safety of students. Not only that but, the cast and crew had to create their own stage which is very symbolic of this particular production as Covid-19 almost cancelled the play as a whole. Even through these setbacks, the two completely enjoyed their experiences on and off the stage this year. 

“To be quite honest, this show may have been one of my favorites of all time.” -Stephanie Roberts 

The girls discussed how the hardships of the play brought the whole cast and crew closer than previous years and created an overwhelming sense of community. Even though they had to social distance by staying six feet apart, that didn’t stop them from creating remarkable friendships with people who would support them on and off the stage. Olivia recounts one of her favorite experiences while performing. 

“My favorite part of the play was getting to do something that felt normal throughout all of this and getting to do what I love with my friends” 

They further discussed how the play gave them a routine to follow and a happy moment during Covid-19. Even though Corona provided the cast and crew with many obstacles, they fought through every single one of them safely. Mrs. Arters and her team created a breath-taking production that showed true Garnet Valley spirit and left the actors with memories they would not soon forget.