For anyone who has either been in drama or seen a play, you know that practices typically start in late August or early September, and we perform the weekend before Thanksgiving. Much like the theme of 2020, this year’s fall play has been nothing but unconventional. 

We didn’t start practice until mid-September, and at the time we had still planned on performing in November. Unfortunately, we went virtual the week before we were supposed to perform, but the show must go on. We decided to push the play back until the weekend before we were supposed to leave for Christmas break, but yet once again 2020 threw us a curveball. Several of our cast members got quarantined and either wouldn’t be able to return until the day of the first performance or after break. Sadly, we had no choice but to push the play back until this weekend. 

The reason we had pushed the play back as many times as we did instead of cancelling was because of all the time and dedication put into it. We all wanted 2021 to be better than 2020 and had high hopes for the year. So far 2021 seems like version two of 2020. Due to the fact that Cass County has gone back into red, we are only allowed to have two guests per cast member per night. So in all, each cast member is allowed four guests. 

The play is titled“The Best Haunted House Ever”, and it takes place in an old haunted house claimed to have been where old Jarvis Stitch used to live. Because of COVID, Hoover High has pushed their haunted house back until the new year. Unbeknownst to them, Jenkins High has the same idea; however, the house seems to have a mind of its own. Flashes of electricity, lights going on and off, and doors that seem to close on their own. This forces the two schools to join forces to figure out what’s happening. What happens when a third party shows up? Why do doors randomly lock? Who’s behind it all? Who really knows. 

Our drama department relies on ticket sales for money. Not only do we lose money because our ticket sales are going to drop, but we are only putting the play on two nights this year instead of three. We’ve already lost money because of the shutdown back in March last year. We rely on the community for support. 

With everything that’s happened, I still love drama. While it’s not always fun and games, some of the best parts about drama are the memories that we make. We are all human so mistakes happen all the time. We always do funny plays, so when mistakes happen they sometimes happen to be the best part of the plays. Sometimes mistakes get incorporated into the play during a practice because of how funny they were. Another thing that I love are the cast parties. After the Saturday performance, we sit together and watch movies while eating food. I couldn’t imagine my life without this department. We are all one big family that takes care of one another. The memories that I’ve made are ones I’ll cherish forever.