While many Santa Barbara High School (SBHS) students have been studying for APs and wrapping up sports seasons, the SBHS Theatre Department has been deep in rehearsal for its spring production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Since January, students have been memorizing lines, painting sets, and staying long nights at school to make this show come to life.
This past week, The Forge took a look behind the scenes at what the final stretch before opening night looks like.
Originally written as a play by William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been drastically edited by Karina Lisette to become a musical. The musical follows a group of lovers and actors who wander into a magical forest where fairies meddle with love, causing confusion before everything is set right. This version features musical elements that bring a creative twist to the original play.
“This show is very beautiful and magical,” said Gioia Marchese, head of the SBHS Theatre Department. “And the ending is very satisfying. It’s going to be moving and ecstatically fun for the audience.”
Putting on a production like this takes a team. At SBHS, actors, student crews, set and costume designers, and teachers have all worked together to make Shakespeare’s play come to life on stage. Each day after school, actors are fitted with microphones, costumes, hair, and makeup before they head into rehearsals. They block scenes, rehearse, and memorize lines. As opening night approaches, the cast moves on to the stage to work through technical details with Marchese.
Meanwhile, the student crew works just as intensely behind the scenes. They spend the week before showtime learning sound cues, fog machines, and star drops to create the show’s magical atmosphere.
Marchese emphasized the importance of these details: “Every time Titania enters, I want it to feel magical and powerful. So we’re creating that with a sound and lighting effect, fog, wind, and leaves. And all of those things have to happen at the same time so it feels like all of a sudden she has just been transported there.”
At the same time, the art department has spent months learning paint treatments, fabricating rocks and trees, and painting backdrops to create the enchanted forest where the play takes place. Alex Sedler, stagecraft student, said; “I really like seeing the set all come together. It feels pretty slow at first, but every day I come to class and see more and more done. It’s really satisfying.”
All of the theatre department’s efforts will come together at A Midsummer Night’s Dream, opening on April 24, running until May 3, with performances on Fridays and weekends. Students can purchase tickets and find more information at sbhstheatre.com or at the door on the night of. Priority seating in the center section will be available for a slightly higher price.
After months of preparation, the cast, crew, and teachers are ready to transform their hard work into a magical performance on stage.
