This year’s fall play was a great performance, thanks to the hard work of the cast, crew, and teachers. The play this time around was Marian, Or The True Tale of Robin Hood. As the name suggests, the story is a spin on the classic Robin Hood tale, which many people are familiar with. The twist is that Robin Hood and Maid Marian, his lover, are actually the same person the whole time. In fact, many of the Merrymen are women in disguise as well. The play was directed by Mr. Fahrer, with assistance from Mrs. Sanchez, Mrs. Moreno, and Ms. Jacobson.
The story follows Alanna Dale, a young archer who admires Robin Hood. After losing an archery contest, she discovers that the person who beat her was none other than Robin Hood himself. Robin is then captured and rescued by Alanna, who then realizes that Robin Hood is actually Maid Marian. Alanna joins the Merrymen as they work together to save the missing people and attempt to stop Prince John’s tyranny.
The play features themes of feminism, sexual orientation, gender identity, and fitting in. Many characters aren’t being their true selves and put on masks to try and blend in with the crowd. Most of them only get what they truly want once they fully embrace who they are on the inside, with the mask off. One such character is Much, one of Robin Hood’s Merrymen, who doesn’t feel like a man. They never felt like they fit in, but after coming out as non-binary, the Merrymen accepted them and embraced their identity. Messages like this can really speak to high-schoolers, even if they aren’t going through the same exact thing as Much, many people want to be accepted for their true selves.
The set of this show is also quite a big highlight, made by the construction crew. It included a massive platform to represent the castle, with stairs on both sides and a tunnel underneath. One side even included a trapdoor. The set was being altered all the way until the day of the performance, being completed with beautifully painted stone bricks and vines. The show also contained multiple fight scenes, complete with swords and bows. Fight choreography was a new thing for many of the actors this year, but all of the fights were able to come together quite nicely.
Rehearsals for the show happen nearly every day for about two months, meaning it is a great commitment for the cast and crew. Add that with the work they get from their classes, it can be hard to juggle everything. The cast has to memorize their cues, blocking, lines and more while also having to worry about assessments and work for school. They do all of this for only four shows. Despite the small number of shows, they are amazing and worth all of the hard work. Marian was a spectacular production, and Morris Hills is excited to see what the thespians have in store for Willy Wonka later this year.
