One-act drama explores accountability, secrets and historical investigation
OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City High School Drama Guild is set to present “Silenced on Barbour Street,” a drama framed around the circus fire of 1944 in Hartford, Conn.
On July 6, 1944, a fire roared across the top of the 48-foot-high tent during the matinee performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, claiming the lives of 144 spectators.
The story is set in a circus-themed purgatory ruled by a sadistic ringmaster, symbolizing how past trauma can hold a person’s psyche captive. The trapped victims must deal with personal guilt, unexpressed remorse and unresolved regrets from the day of the fire.
The narrative also explores accountability, historical investigation and the public and private secrets surrounding who caused the fire and how safety was neglected.
To escape their purgatory, the individual victims must stop working in isolation and unite to piece together unanswered questions and loose ends from the disaster. Director Brian Schkeeper said he chose a play with such a heavy theme because most of the productions over the past couple of years have been light-hearted — “Legally Blonde,” “Peter and the Starcatcher” and “Guys and Dolls” among them — so he felt something more dramatic was in order.
“Let’s give them something to bite into a little bit. Nothing too overboard with the tragedy but, you know, a little bit of tragedy,” he said of his thinking.
“There is this sort of accountability aspect of what do I owe me? What do I owe my neighbor? What do I owe strangers? And sort of how all of those interplay,” Schkeeper said. “They’re looking inside and the Ringmasters is sort of forcing the interactions of pulling out the story. As they acknowledge their parts in the story is when pieces start to fall into place and then the end of it.”
Schkeeper also took the available talent into account.
“Part of the consideration is always what kids do we have and how many, and so we do want to be mindful of the population of the actors and not choosing a show that’s too small,” he said.
The production team is split almost evenly, with a cast of 23, an ensemble of 18 and a crew of 19, for a total of 60 students.
Andrew Pelaez, who was Nathan Detroit in last year’s “Guys and Dolls,” plays the Ringmaster.
He acknowledged the seriousness of the production.
“It’s definitely a turn from whatever else we’ve done, but I like it, I appreciate it,” Pelaez said.
The junior said a drama differs from a musical, putting more pressure on the actors.
“When you’re in a musical, the other two (singing and dancing) can back up the acting,” he said.
Nathan Lera, who portrays Nathan in the production, said the play is “definitely different than anything we’ve ever done in multiple ways.”
He noted it is only about 45 minutes long.
“It’s short, but it’s also very dark. A little bit scary, a little bit more dramatic than the other ones,” Lera said.
He agreed with Pelaez that more focus is on the actor in a drama.
“I’ve always played clutch characters that are more upbeat and light, but this character that I’m portraying now, he has a lot of regrets and a lot of sadness and that was definitely something that was a little bit more difficult to find. I think that was the hardest part about the show, but once I found that place of regret and sadness within my character, I was able to act my fullest,” he said. “I found this play more of a lesson because I’ve never played a character like this, so I’m very grateful to be a part of this show because it taught me a bunch of skills that I’ve never learned.”
Sydney Koz Chin, who plays Margaret, said that while on the shorter side, the play packs a lot into its running time.
“I still keep getting that same impact and emotion, which I think really shows everyone’s acting abilities,” the junior said.
“I think that it brings a lot of raw emotion. And I, myself, have cried on stage multiple times.”
Tegan Goodwin, who portrays Mae, said “it’s been really great to step into a different genre.”
The senior said she reflects on past sorrow to get in character.
“You really have to look, I feel like, deeper for your character and really figure out what they want. You just have to try new things because you’re trying to be more of a person than like a character,” Goodwin said.
Madelyn Saul is one of four Bally Girls, part narrators and part minions of the Ringmaster.
“We help set the stage for the story, explain background of the characters and other things like that that just kind of set the scene for the show,” Saul said. “We are aware of what’s happening, we are like all-knowing, mysterious and nobody knows who or what we are.”
Not naturally evil, according to the sophomore, she said it takes work to play such a role.
“It’s a little bit hard to like step into that sort of sinisterness,” she said.
Show times are 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12-14 in the Bill and Nancy Hughes Performing Arts Center at the high school.
Cast
Julia Colangelo (Eleanor), Henry Costal (Donald), Tallulah Costal (Mary), Tessa DiAntonio (Althea), Hanna Dolinsky (Bally Girl), Tegan Goodwin (Mae), Violet Knapp (Betty), Sydney Koz Chin (Margaret), Nathan Lera (Nathan), Samuel Lowe (Edward Hickey), Brodie Madison (Stuart), Kailyn Nilsen (Harriet), Hannah Oliver (Bally Girl), Vivien Peifer (Bally Girl), Andrew Pelaez (Ringmaster), Lily Pettit (Mildred), Ingrid Pohlig (Hannah), Madelyn Saul (Bally Girl), Edward Shiffler IV (Robert Segee), Evelyn Stech (Dorothy), Sean Wilde (Whitey Versteeg), Rhyan Wilkin (Estelle) and Reina Xu (Sally).
Ensemble
Timothy Arsenault, Olivia Baez, Taylor Black, James Brown, Emily Ferretti, Charlotte LaFerriere, Ellie Levick, Ben Lowe, Parker Maxwell, Victoria Moore, Olivia Morgan, Lia Myers, Ava Nieves, Ruby Scott, Harris Shaikh, Brynn Sullick, Luna Taraborrelli and Valerie Voegtlin.
Crew
Hailey Camacho, Molly Diamond, Morgan Dougan, Leo Foster, Katelyn Fries, Scar Garrett (stage manager), Nicolette Grecco, Victoria Hansen, Eva Kettler, Elizabeth Louis, Connor Lowry, Wyatt Merkh, Andrew Mora, Erin Phillips, Julie Richards, Emma Saul (costume chief), Marcus Shumski, Felix Stauffer and Grace Wiley.
– STORY by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
