The concepts of empathy, understanding, and learning from mistakes were key elements of the 2021 McCaskey East Spring Children’s Play – both inside the magical world created by the show’s actors and production team, and the occasionally more frightening one outside of it. 

Ms. Nolt, the show’s director and a media studies teacher at East, came up with the idea of having four different set pieces and cameras which would film students live, using video editing techniques to make it appear as though they were less than six feet apart. 

“That was sort of our big thing,” she said. “How can we hide the masks, and how can we do it differently so that it doesn’t feel like a loss if you just have to watch a livestream playing?” 

Access to the spring children’s play is usually restricted to the number of buses the school can afford, as well as the number of seats in the East auditorium. But this year, over 7,000 students, teachers, and community members were able to watch the live streamed production. Some family members even tuned in from across the country. 

The show’s setting of a summer camp for young wizards-in-training created the perfect platform for the McCaskey production team to showcase their talents. They used special effects to make it appear as though objects (and sometimes people) were flying, added sound effects and visual imagery to represent the occurrence of magic, and adeptly filmed actors, switching between different cameras to create seamless transitions. 

“I feel like this year everyone just needed this,” said Ms. Nolt. “People always enjoy it, it’s always a lot of fun, but I feel like cast members, SDoL kids, parents, teachers…people just needed a win.” 

One of the most impactful lines in the entire play was said by McCaskey senior Zoe Burnette, who played a wizard pupil speaking to fellow camper Angel Gotchgird (played by Arrison Ortiz), after the latter had been cured from the side effects of a potion which had left him unable to communicate properly. 

“It’s no wonder you’ve been failing.” she said. “It’s hard to pass when no one understands you.” 

Throughout rehearsals of Rockin’ Wizard Camp, this line was emphasized heavily by both Ms. Nolt and the actors. It is extremely relevant to McCaskey High School itself, which has a vast number of non-native english speakers and special education students. These individuals, whose needs may vary from those of others, have faced more struggles during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Not only did the spring play teach its audience some valuable lessons, but the actors gained a lot from the experience as well. 

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” said McCaskey sophomore Sonii Bora, who played the lead role of Augusta B. Rockin.“ I feel like this was also one of the best theater experiences I’ve ever had,” he added. “It’s not traditional theater, but I just feel like it was a really good environment to get into.”

The 2021 spring play was a true testament to the unifying power and endurance of art. The diverse cast, accessible format, and sheer ingenuity of Rockin’ Wizard Camp were truly representative of what McCaskey stands for as a school and pillar in our community. 

Audience members can learn more about the fictional world of Rockin’ Wizard Camp, read cast bios, and learn more about the play’s characters on the show’s website. A full recording of the production is also available on the site as a google drive link.