The 2023 fall play, which ran November 9th-12th, was done a little differently than previous years because it consisted of four one act plays in one big production.
The first of these small plays is called “Moon Logic” by David Lipschutz, which follows a video game hero who must go through different obstacles in order to save the princess.The next play is “Piece of Cake” by Allie Costa. This play is about a small business owner having to face her relationship with the Muffin Man, or lose all of her customers.“Sleeping with Cicadas” by Melissa Milich, is the third play. This is a story about the secrets of the Appalachia and how they are at risk of exposure when a federal agent encounters two mountain men. The final play, “Cross Winds Over the Saanich Inlet” by Karen Howes, is a story about how a remote wedding gets overturned when the groom fails to show.
This play is unlike any other show done at Alder “It’s a little different with doing the four one act short plays. I decided to go that route for a couple of reasons,” says director Daniel Rodriguez Hijo. “One, it was a little bit easier to kind of move around; each play was kind of its own piece.The other part of it… is that I was then able to give more lead roles kind of across the board.”
Since this year’s production was done this way, it allowed the student directors to each be in charge of one play. Senior Maelee Rapalo has been a part of the fall play since her freshman year and this is her first year as a student director. “I’m student director of one of [the plays], but all of us student directors work together to get the overall picture done,” Rapalo says. Rapalo is the student director of “Piece of Cake,” sophomore Derek Rodriguez was the student director of “Sleeping with Cicadas,” senior Trisha Lennex was the student director of “Moon Logic,” and everyone with the main director helped with the last play,”Cross Winds Over the Saanich Inlet.”
Overall, those who participated in this year’s production were proud of how it turned out, and glad to have participated in such a special play. “This year I think above all, because of the unique format,” says Rodriguez Hijo, “it’s been really cool and I think it’s very valuable that the students have been able to do something so unique and really play, they’re at play. I’m really happy to see them have such a unique and really thorough opportunity.”
