E/a Weekend Conflicts With Fall Mainstage
The large crowd of students at the annual Exeter/Andover (E/a) events on Friday and Saturday evenings overshadowed Fisher Theater’s fall mainstage production of “Nicholas Nickleby.” In past terms, the mainstage production has sold out of tickets for its performances, but for this rendition of Charles Dickens’ novel, nearly a quarter of the seats were left empty.
“I think scheduling the play and the biggest sports events of the year on the same weekend pits one against the other, which is really counterproductive,” senior Maya Pierce, a member of the “Nicholas Nickleby” cast, said. “I think everyone would agree that it’s not ideal.”
Pierce was among many students who expressed intense disappointment at having to choose between all-school activities, which they wanted to attend, and the play. Some students also felt that the play was under-advertized in comparison to the E/a events, which began with an all-school pep assembly on Friday. On the same night, the annual pep rally took place at the stadium, and the Exeter Association of Rock (EAR) concert followed immediately after. On Saturday evening after the games at Andover, students spent time with recent alumni or attended Soule Tea, the dance held in Grainger Auditorium. After this packed weekend, students then spent Sunday catching up on homework. Pierce was frustrated that so many events were scheduled for one weekend because many other weekends had fewer activities.
“I think if we had more publicity then more people would’ve been more aware."
According to chair of the theater and dance department, Robert Richards, there has always been a concern about theater production dates falling on the same weekend as E/a. However, this fall the overlap was unavoidable. Richards explained that the play would not have been ready earlier in the term because of the time needed for actors and technicians to properly prepare the production. “Only those who have been in plays understand the amount of time and energy that is required,” he said. Likewise, the mainstage production could not be extended another weekend because it conflicted with the dance concert series which also takes place in Fisher Theater.
Pierce admitted that she loved performing in the play, but she also wished she could have gone to her last fall pep rally. “It’s also not as much fun performing in front of a half-empty audience, especially [for] three performances in a row,” she said. She added that the cast and crew still put their full effort and energy into the show, despite the turnout of the audience.
Most varsity athletes who participated in pep rally on Friday and played against Andover on Saturday morning were unable to see the play. Upper Charlotte Polk, who is on the varsity volleyball team, said she would have gone to the play had the weekend not been so busy. After pep rally and her EAR performance, she went to bed in order to be well-rested for her early-morning game, and exhausted after the games, she rested in her dorm on Saturday evening. While she felt it was unfair that it was made difficult for athletes to go to the play, she was also grateful for the turnout at her game. She explained that during regular season home games her team rarely had a crowd show up. However, she acknowledged the hard work of those involved with the play and was disheartened to hear that not many people attended. “The weekend was a contest between the two which is not fair to anyone,” she said.
Even students who were not involved in sports could not attend. Upper Grace Pan danced at pep rally and then attended the EAR concert after. She also had “the normal stresses of school to worry about” for the rest of the weekend. Lower Michaela Phan also found herself busy with homework. Even though they had not been able to attend, Pan and Phan said they were sure that the show was successful and commended the actors and technicians involved.
Facing the lower turnout, the cast worked hard to keep their spirits high. Upper Harry Fitzgerald shared how those involved were initially disappointed, thinking they wouldn’t be able to go to the games. Between the trip to Andover and the performances, he said many performers found it difficult to find time to fit in homework. He proposed a way around the timing conflict that would have been to put on the play earlier in the month. “Which I think is very doable given the amount of time we rehearse,” he said. On the contrary, lower Miles Mikofsky, who played Nicholas Nickleby in the play, thought the cast needed all the time possible to prepare. Mikofsky said he was unaffected by the small audience, saying he acted primarily for himself and his own interest in the art.
“Nicholas Nickleby” was upper Daisy Tichenor’s third mainstage show. She said the cast had fun throughout the term and bonded over testing out British accents. “[The show] was totally worth it,” Tichenor said. A member of the crew, upper Wendi Yan agreed. “I loved how the show turned out,” Yan said. She enjoyed seeing the different types of art come together, from lighting to costume to props.
Despite scheduling challenges, the play was deemed a success by both those in the audience and those involved in its development. Richards praised the adults who worked to make sure each job was completed. He also expressed gratefulness for the cast and crew, whose “collaborative spirit was that of a true ensemble.” And although there was little time to grow and improve the play between performances, he was satisfied with the quality of the production.
Nonetheless, Richards explained that publicity is important for the success of any theater company. “I think if we had more publicity then more people would’ve been more aware,” Richards said. “Everyone is over-busy at Exeter, so it’s typically tough for the majority of faculty and students to come see the play.”