Students at Quest Academy put on ‘Crazytown’ in pandemic, draw attention of playwright
Taylor Slater performs during a rehearsal of "Crazytown" at Quest Academy in West Haven on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Students in the production of "Crazytown" react to the performances of Taylor Slater and JJ Ruiz, as their characters vie to become student body president of Crazytown Elementary School, at Quest Academy in West Haven on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Iris Chapman reads the script for "Crazytown," in which she is performing, at Quest Academy in West Haven on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Sarah Shepherd applies lip gloss as part of her performance in "Crazytown" as co-director Scott Barr walks by at Quest Academy in West Haven on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Taylor Slater, left, and JJ Ruiz perform during a rehearsal of "Crazytown" at Quest Academy in West Haven on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Taylor Slater, left, and JJ Ruiz perform during a rehearsal of "Crazytown" at Quest Academy in West Haven on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Taylor Slater, left, and Gracie Mullen perform during a rehearsal of "Crazytown" at Quest Academy in West Haven on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Taylor Slater, left, and Gracie Mullen perform during a rehearsal of "Crazytown" at Quest Academy in West Haven on Friday, March 19, 2021.
A poster for "Crazytown," created by Quest Academy eighth grader Allie Tiechert.
WEST HAVEN — Theater productions at schools in a year dictated by a pandemic have had to adjust to smaller audiences than cast members are used to as live performances are typically restricted to a predetermined number of family members.
For Quest Academy, modifications made in response to COVID-19 will allow for an unexpected attendee — Jonathan Rand, the playwright of “Crazytown,” the play the school is putting on.
Prior to the pandemic, Rand said he would usually attend a few productions of his plays local to his home. But this year, as schools like Quest Academy have turned to Broadway on Demand to broadcast their work nationally, that number has gone way up.
“On account of the pandemic … I’ve seen far more productions of my plays over the last year than I’d ever normally get to experience,” Rand told the Standard-Examiner in an email. “It’s been a very strange silver lining, to be sure.”
The student cast of Quest Academy’s “Crazytown” reacted to the news that Rand would be tuning in with mixed emotions, according to teacher and co-director Allison Pfister, saying students were both excited and nervous. Eighth grader Taylor Slater, for example, said, “Lots of anxiety kicked in.”
She continued, though, saying, “I’m pretty excited for it. It will be pretty cool. I mean, I don’t know any other plays that I’ve been in where the playwright has come.”
Slater said she enjoys performing in “Crazytown” because she gets to play multiple characters in “fun” and “wacky” situations. Cut to one of her scenes, in which she portrays a candidate running for student body president of Crazytown Elementary School.
“How would you describe your school spirit? The reason I ask is because I’ve got spirit, yes I do, I’ve got spirit, how ’bout you?” asks the moderator of a debate prior to the selection of the president.
Her opponent, played by JJ Ruiz, says, “If anyone has Crazytown Elementary School pride, it’s me.” He shows the audience his lapel pin of a northern elephant seal, the school’s mascot, before pointing out that Slater’s character isn’t wearing a lapel pin.
The accusation that she doesn’t have school spirit induces a back and forth between the two candidates that results in Slater showing her Social Security card to prove her middle name is “northern elephant seal,” Ruiz making seal noises (which serves as his ringtone) and going on to accuse Slater of killing one of the animals.
Most of the cast of 12 sixth through ninth graders are playing multiple characters, with some actors filling up to four. Slater, for example, also acts as a contestant in a TV-watching competition.
Rand said “Crazytown” is meant to be versatile, with as few as four or as many as 70 actors filling roles in the production. That flexibility, according to Pfister, is exactly why she and her co-director, Scott Barr, selected the play.
“When we decided to do a play in a pandemic, we started searching for shows that had minimal characters,” she said. “Then, we didn’t have to stress if kids were sick frequently.”
“Crazytown” fit the bill, plus it requires few props and little scenery, she said, allowing the school to minimize germ swapping and put on the show in a place that’s not meant for theater. In school years past, Quest Academy has rented out a stage at Syracuse Arts Academy. Because of COVID-19, that wasn’t an option.
“If you lift up the screen (behind the set), that’s actually a weight room,” Pfister said of the stage where the play is being performed, which is actually on the floor of the school’s gym. “This isn’t made to be a stage, but it’s the closest thing we have in both buildings, so we’re going with this and seeing what happens.”
The limited number of family members who are allowed admission will be seated on bleachers opposite the makeshift stage, while most others watch the production on a screen. Students who want to watch the play will join small watch parties in classrooms at the school, similar to what the school did when its basketball teams had playoff games.
Online viewers can watch the show at 7 p.m. Wednesday for $20 on broadwayondemand.com. All proceeds will go toward funding next year’s show, Pfister said. As the big night approaches, Pfister said she is proud of everything students have put into it, despite the challenges they faced this year.
“I could get emotional talking about them,” she said. “They’re funny, they’re hardworking. I mean, most of these kids are playing at least three characters, so they’ve done an amazing job memorizing everything and being able to be one character, then another, then another.”
For Rand’s part, he’s impressed, too. But it’s not a shock to him that students in theater could pull off such a feat.
“It’s been beyond inspiring to see students turn pandemic lemons into lemonade,” he said. “In a way, though, I shouldn’t be surprised. Not only do theatre students tend to be uniquely enterprising and resilient, but theatre’s mantra has always been ‘The Show Must Go On.'”