“The tricky part about Theater By The Numbers is we don’t know what the order of the show is until we perform it,” advanced theater arts teacher Nancy Hoffman said.
Theater By The Numbers is an interactive performance. The order of the show is determined by the audience when they call out a number like “15, 5, 7, 2.” The actors then pull the respective card off the bulletin board, perform it, and when it’s done they yell out “curtain.”
The premise of Theater By The Numbers is to challenge the actors in advanced theater arts and showcase the creativity of students and staff writers throughout the high school, who are credited at the beginning of the show.
“The pieces can be short stories, plays, skits, monologues or poetry,” Hoffman said.
As writers submit their original work, the theater arts students look each one over and decide how they could perform it on stage. After going through all the submissions, they try to pick out 12 to 15 pieces, then the actors get a say in which ones they prefer to act in. The compositions are all previously rehearsed, but sometimes the actors have to react quickly and improvise.
“My goal is to make the writers proud,” performer Jenna Valle said.
The performance provides a way to share the work with the community, get them involved, and possibly teach them a thing or two.
“I want to show people that theater isn’t always dramatic or cheesy, it can be fun and interactive as well,” Valle said.
