The sixth grade play has become a fall tradition at Minnetonka Middle School East, and despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, MME Theatre Program co-producers Liz McAllister and Amy Jore were determined to provide a theatre opportunity for 6th grade actors this year. 

The team chose to produce the play When Bad Things Happen to Good Actors, which follows the story of a group of actors working to present a play virtually. The creation of the MME production took place entirely online, from auditions and rehearsals to costume planning and filming.

This first-ever online 6th grade play provided many opportunities for creative problem solving. Except for one outdoor rehearsal after auditions, rehearsals were held via Google Meet. Almost every other part of the production process was revised to accommodate being online. Online auditions were held online in early October, actors attended online rehearsals 3-4 days a week October through November and the show was filmed online in early December. Costumes, props, and a green screen for each actor were individually packaged for a contactless pick-up scheduled the week before filming began.

Parents played the role of at home production assistants helping with everything from taking costume measurements, preparing their actor’s green screen background, setting up lighting and assisting with props. Hair and makeup, usually done at the theatre before performances, was also done at home by parents. Detailed instructions from how to best utilize wi-fi and lighting to how to apply makeup were provided to parents. McAllister and Jore shared that parents more than stepped up to the challenge!

Renee Roels, Set Design Crew advisor, managed a small group of student crew members. Students designed, painted and photographed backgrounds for use in the play’s  post-production. Actors were filmed at home in front of green screens so that these backgrounds could be digitally edited into the film.

Technical Specialist Matthew Dufault managed the Google Meet recording process and then edited together hours of filmed scenes. The editing process included mixing recorded scenes, adding sound effects and inserting backgrounds to complete the final version of the play.

Nothing replaces the experience of performing live in front of an audience, but actors who participated in the production enjoyed the process and the community the theatre opportunity created. “My favorite part was getting to meet so many new people,” shared sixth grade actor Anja Arora. “Getting to interact with them on camera was a really fun acting experience.”

Sixth grade actor Kate Teller shared, “I loved everything! The cast, the costumes, the fun plot!”

On Friday, March 26, after months of anticipation, actors, crew and the production team safely gathered for the “World Premiere” viewing of the play in the MME Cafetorium. It was the first time this group were all present together as cast and crew. The celebration was well worth the wait.

View the virtual play here.

 

About the Play

The students at Virtual Middle East are getting ready to present their production of the classic story, “The Wizard of Oz.” But there are more than a few problems - the director rewrote the show and it’s no longer a musical, actors can’t seem to remember their lines, Glinda’s wand won’t work, and the Flying Monkeys can’t fly. 

The zany and wonderfully wild cast of characters and events in When Bad Things Happen to Good Actors will have your whole family chuckling and wondering what will happen next. This virtual play is the perfect entertainment for the whole family.