A recap of Barstow’s theater during the fall semester.
Barstow Upper School’s theater department is in the middle of a busy season! The department is working very hard with one musical ending and rehearsals for a new play beginning soon.
“The Lightning Thief is definitely one of my favorite shows I have directed here at Barstow. I am very proud of this production,” says Mr. Kohler, the head of the theater department. Mr. Kohler is currently in his 20th year of directing theater at Barstow, with 28 years of total experience. He expressed that he “loves being involved in bringing a story to life on stage and assembling all the parts,” and how directing is a passion of his.
The Lightning Thief, a musical adaptation of the first book in the Percy Jackson series, has just wrapped up its production. This fantasy musical tells the story of Percy Jackson, a boy who has discovered that he is a demigod. With friends by his side, they go on a quest to find Zeus’ lightning bolt to stop a war between the gods.
Mr. Kohler describes this musical as “one that is relatable to a broad audience, kids through adults.” Percy is a young character who just doesn’t seem to fit in, something that everyone has felt before. The musical’s theme of accepting who you are makes it enjoyable to watch, along with its fun and upbeat songs.
Barstow’s performance was great! Mr. Kohler was so proud of the cast and crew and stated that it was one of his favorite musicals that he directed at Barstow. The cast gave an outstanding performance over three nights. Many Barstow students and families came to watch, filling the auditorium with laughter.
The musical could not have been such a success without rehearsals. For eight weeks after school, the cast and crew of The Lightning Thief held rehearsals that stretched for two to four hours. They often used Saturdays as a time to practice and build their set. This rehearsal system has been used by Mr. Kohler throughout his time as a director. It provides enough time to fully prepare for the best performance possible.
As for the rest of the year for the theater department, they’re just getting started. This year, all the productions are adaptations of books. Upper school’s spring play will be Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a follow-up to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Middle school will be performing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a play written by Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond series. Lower school students will perform Willy Wonka, based on Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Pretenders, a theater club at Barstow, has begun rehearsals as well. This year, Athena Platt ‘25 is directing The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet, written by Peter Bloedel. This play is a “silly retelling of Romeo and Juliet,” as Athena describes it, that uses a lot of rhyming schemes that provide a fun energy for the audience.
Athena has been involved in theater since her sophomore year and has had a lot of fun doing the plays at Barstow. Athena decided to get involved in directing the Pretenders play this year due to her positive experience in co-directing last year. While she has never taken full leadership of a play before, she has had experiences in many roles in a theater department that help her feel prepared to take on this new challenge!
Athena was pleased with how the auditions went. Although there weren’t as many people as they hoped, they had a perfect amount of cast members for a successful play. There was some trial and error during the beginning of the process, but Athena and the cast are settled and feeling prepared for rehearsals to begin!
Theater at Barstow is an extremely successful department. Mr. Kohler and many students are feeling very excited about upcoming productions! There’s much to come soon, and everyone is encouraged to come to support the cast and crew members of the future plays.
