(TEANECK, NJ) -- Some of the most intensely dedicated theater students at Black Box Studios / Black Box Performing Arts Center are the many young women of the Ma'ayanot Yeshiva HS Drama Society, now in it's 8th and - of course - most unique season.
While the group continues to keep hope alive for their postponed Spring production of JessicaSwale's poigant and humorous drama BlueStockings, they take a departure this coming Thursday evening - May 21st @ 8:00pm to offer a virtual live reading of JohnBishop's hysterical romp The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 - in special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., NY - all in support of their sometime-this-summer show. Tickets are available throughout this week for a $10 donation to the Drama Society at www.blackboxpac.com.
“We are not ready to give up: each obstacle that comes our way has only been an opportunity for us to grow together. Every day has brought new surprises, but it has been comforting to have the Drama Society community for support.” - Tzivia Major, Student Director and graduating Senior
In Blue Stockings, it is 1896 at Girton College in Cambridge and four bright women meet much opposition from their male peers while fighting for their right to graduate. These women passionately fight to prove they are intellectually capable of the same academia as men in a time when women’s education and their rights to graduate was widely controversial. Will these women have what it takes to prove that they are not bound to a home life? With themes of equality, love, friendship, suffragettes, and education, this story is sure to transcend historical boundaries and invoke feelings of horror towards the prejudices against women of the 19th century.
The Ma’ayanot Drama Society - with their still indefinitely postponed production of Jessica Swale’s critically acclaimed play - is now writing their own history of sorts. As COVID-19 has caused just about every theater to close and shows to cancel, the Ma’ayanot Drama Society was set to perform just as social distancing began. Its collective response: to persevere as long as they can, even if it means waiting patiently for quarantines to lift and to continue to rehearse over online video calls on a regular basis. The physical separation has not stopped these 30+ determined teens - actors, tech crew, student directors, and stage crew.
“The play community is definitely one that I am lucky to be a part of during these trying times. There is always someone, especially the directors, available to talk when it is needed.” - Kayla-Rachel Singer, Costume Designer and Sophomore
“My tech team and I worked tirelessly for weeks designing the set and costumes, finding the right parts and materials, and creating the costumes, props, and set pieces, and we’d all be incredibly disappointed if it turned out that it was all for nothing. This is one of the main reasons that the rest of the creative team and myself are very adamant about the fact that the show must go on, and that we will one day (please God soon) perform in front of a live audience, and we’re doing everything we can to make that come true.” - Meira Shapiro, Technical Director and Junior
In keeping with the famous mantra "the show must go on", this group of creative, determined, and passionate young women are proving their dedication to each other as well as to the performing arts as they continue to keep their lines fresh, find new meaning in scenes, discover deeper levels to their characters, and so much more.
“Zooming has helped bring us all together despite the fact that we can't physically gather for practices. When we aren't zooming, our play WhatsApp group chat also is a big contributor to what makes us feel like we are all together.” - Elisheva Elbaz, Actress and Freshman
Follow their remarkable journey on Instagram @myhsdramasociety, and click on this link to see how the cast and crew of Blue Stockings has been keeping their work in theater alive during social isolation.
“I’ve found that by the zoom play meetings we have it’s a good time to talk to everyone and reconnect and maybe even connect with someone you haven’t really talked to.” - Tamar Bruk, Actress and Freshman
Photos courtesy of Amy Lebovics Photography
