Written By: Alexandra Steyn and Lily Leand

Rehearsals for the Upper School fall play are in full swing as the cast prepares for their two performances. The Drama Department first planned to produce The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the Tony award-winning stage adaptation of the novel by Mark Haddon. However, difficulties surrounding licensing resulted in a switch to The Veri**on Play, a lighthearted comedy. The play’s cast, notably absent of seniors, consists of fifteen students from 9th to 11th grade. Behind the scenes, assisting Mr. Hogan and Mr. Robinson is Amanda Gui ’27 as assistant director and Julia Kroin ’25 as stage manager.

Ms. Henerey, Drama and Dance Department chair, described the decision to change the play. She explained, “We applied for the rights in August. The rights to a play ensure that we pay the company that owns the play, [and] anybody who’s involved in the creation of that play is paid. We immediately got approval, and it had been about 3 or 4 days and we hadn’t heard anything, so we contacted them, and they said there was a glitch in the system, and they’re not letting anyone in the Northeast perform [Curious Incident].” While they were told the issue would be resolved, no progress was made, and the cast was losing crucial rehearsal time. “We said to ourselves, we would give them two more days, and in those two days, we’re gonna come up with a Plan B. We had a couple in mind that we decided to pick from, and that was why we switched,” Ms. Henerey said. When those two days provided no hope that the issue would be resolved, the Department decided to switch to The Veri**on Play.

The Veri**on Play centers around Jenni, a young woman who, after receiving horrible customer service from Verizon, embarks on a world-wide adventure with an undercover resistance group that aims to overthrow Verizon. The cast and crew have adapted to the shift with positive attitudes. Gui welcomed the change, reflecting, “It’s a good opportunity for the actors to learn about another way of acting, because it’s very specific about how you need to deliver the lines and timing.” Zoe Sterling-Dixon ’26 added, “My experience in this play has been amazing so far! We have had so much fun in rehearsal and I feel like our cast has a really nice bond.” Although a switch in the play was unexpected, the cast took it on with enthusiasm, and they have hopped into the new rehearsal process with excitement and energy.

The Veri**on Play is paving the way for comedic performances in the RCDS theater department. In recent years, there has been a noticeable lack of comedic productions, which has only left students hoping for that opportunity, until now. “I think a comedic production was long overdue, and it feels great because I find comedy to be more challenging to act than drama. Comedy is hard work, but I think it will pay off once we hear the laughter of an audience,” Dana DaCosta ‘26 says. This show has been a long time coming, as Mr. Hogan first hoped to direct the show when he was pursuing his masters degree in teaching at Drew University. “Lisa Kron, along with Director Anna Kaufmann brought it to the campus to be workshopped by the undergraduates, so I saw the stage reading, and one of the first fully mounted productions of it on Drew’s campus . . . I was always hoping to be able to do it one day,” Hogan said. He spoke highly of the diverse cast, stating that they are “courageous, open-minded, and adaptable. They have proven in multiple situations that they are capable of pivoting regardless of whatever the demand and situation may be. They are goofy, and they are quirky, and they are not afraid to bring out that energy, and it’s a beautiful thing.” 

Comedy is a strategic genre that takes much care and precision to master, and it comes with its own set of challenges separate from those faced in dramatic pieces. “Comedies can be very difficult because the characters and their intentions have to be crystal clear,” Mr. Hogan said. “Everything comes down to timing, whether that be when certain lines are said or cues are picked up, or the rise and fall of emotion and volume.” Time is of the essence, not just for comedy, but for the play itself. After the setback with the earlier switch, rehearsal time has been shortened by two weeks, leaving less time for the cast to prepare. Despite this, Mr. Hogan says that rehearsals have been going well. He added, “The cast just being so fluid and adaptable is really helping things, especially with the text that is so layered, and is so developed in terms of its characters, its exposition, and its comedy.” This stellar cast is sure to put on a hilarious performance. Do not forget to come see them on the evenings of November 8th and 9th!